A rival gang member has been accused of killing a cell inmate, who had been charged attempted murder and was placed in the cell only 30 minutes before his death. Christian Gonzalez, age 24, is accused of killing rival gang member, Pedro Ruiz, age 19, in their cell at Cook County Jail, 2700 South California Avenue in Chicago.
Christian Gonzalez, allegedly beat Pedro Ruiz for 10 minutes with a sock filled with bars of soap, according to Cook County prosecutors. Later on, the same morning of the beating, Saturday, February 1, 2020, Gonzalez allegedly told a correctional officer that he beat Ruiz because he was a rival gang member, according to prosecutors.
Gonzalez is a member with the Satan Disciples. Ruiz was a gang member with the Almighty Saints.
The rival gangs have a history of facing off in the Back of the Yards neighborhood and nearby neighborhoods. Some battles involved rifle shootings in 2017, and in May 2018 an ATF agent was shot in the head by an Almighty Saints gang member while the ATF agent was assisting Chicago police investigating the rifle shootings.
Cook County correctional officers in the Cook County Jail maximum security wing “Division 9” found Ruiz unresponsive in his cell with apparent head trauma about 1:55 a.m. Saturday February 1, 2020 and “immediately began lifesaving measures, according to a Cook County Sheriff’s authority.
Pedro Ruiz, 19, had been ordered held without bail on Friday, January 31, 2020 on charges of Attempted Murder and Aggravated Battery with a firearm in connection with the shooting that was located in Back of the Yards neighborhood.
Gonzalez had been in custody since early June 2019 after he was ordered held without bail on charges he used a rifle to shoot and wound a man in 2017.
Gonzalez got in additional trouble when he and four other Cook County Jail inmates were each charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery and mob action, according to court records. Gonzalez was among the five detainees who attacked a lone inmate November 19, 2019 in a day room of maximum security wing “Division 9.”
Surveillance video revealed Gonzalez punched and kicked the 41-year-old lone inmate before the other detainees stabbed the lone inmate with a shank … then beat him and stomped on his head.
About seven minutes elapsed on the video after the attack when correctional officers came to the aid of the victim in the day room.
Initially Cook County authorities have not responded to the specific question regarding why rivals Gonzalez and Ruiz were placed in the same cell.
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