A Chicago man, Vilmer Alcaraz, has been charged with fatally shooting three individuals involved in a concrete job dispute stemming from a $2,300 payment.
The alleged incident occurred on November 10, 2023, in the 8300 block of South Pulaski Road in the Ashburn neighborhood shortly after Alcaraz received a text from one of the victims asking, ‘Are you going to pay the money or not?’
Cook County prosecutors detailed the troubling events during Alcaraz’s initial court appearance, describing how the three victims—identified as Juan Marrufo, 34; Fernando Patino, 28; and Carlos Orozco, 38—were discovered slumped in their vehicle around 4:25 p.m. by responding officers.
Investigators recovered a mobile phone from one of the victims that had communicated with a number linked to Alcaraz. Additionally, a notebook found in the vehicle showed an agreement regarding the $2,300 payment for concrete work at Alcaraz’s sister’s home. Notably, one of the victims was reportedly a neighbor of the sister.
Prosecutors stated that Alcaraz, 32, was captured on surveillance video arriving at work the morning of the shooting wearing a distinctive gray puffer coat paired with dark pants and white and gray shoes. Shortly thereafter, he entered a transport van exclusively driven by him.
Later that day, surveillance footage recorded the transport van outside his sister’s home, which is in proximity to the crime scene. Alcaraz was seen on his sister’s cameras wearing the same gray puffer coat and dark pants, and his face was clearly visible, according to prosecutors.
Further footage later captured Alcaraz leaving his sister’s residence, once again wearing the same clothing, and walking through a nearby alley, where he pulled up the hood of his coat.
Prosecutors contend that the individual in the gray puffer coat, believed to be Alcaraz, approached the victims’ vehicle— a Buick Enclave—engaged in conversation, pulled out a gun, and fired multiple shots before fleeing the scene.
Following the shooting, Alcaraz allegedly returned to the alley near his sister’s house, and surveillance video recorded him revealing his face as he pulled down his hoodie. He was subsequently seen returning to his sister’s home, still donning the same identifiable clothing.
Authorities recovered six spent .40-caliber shell casings and two live rounds from inside the Buick Enclave. Phone records from one of the victims revealed multiple communications with Alcaraz in the hours leading up to the shooting.
A warrant for Alcaraz’s arrest was approved on January 30, 2024, and law enforcement apprehended him on the following Friday. While Alcaraz possesses a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card and reportedly owns three guns, none has been linked to the shooting incident.
Moreover, one of Alcaraz’s work supervisors informed investigators that he recognized the puffer coat depicted in the surveillance videos as one that Alcaraz owns and wears regularly.
Upon his arrest, Alcaraz allegedly confessed to the shooting, claiming it was in self-defense after one of the men in the Buick reportedly had a firearm on his lap.
During court proceedings, Alcaraz’s public defender elaborated on the self-defense argument, suggesting that additional text messages exist that depict the victims as aggressively demanding payment. The defense also speculated that the men might have been following Alcaraz on the day of the shooting.
As a lifelong Cook County resident and an employee at a senior-living facility, Alcaraz’s history was cited by his public defender as a point of consideration.
Despite the potential for self-defense evidence to emerge later in the case, Associate Judge Shauna Boliker noted that no such proof was presented during the hearing and therefore ordered Alcaraz to be held in custody pending trial.
image source from：chicago
