COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — A Humboldt Park teen riding his bike early Wednesday morning on West Division Street was shot by an alleged Latin King gang member even after claiming to be part of the same gang, prosecutors said.
Randy "Garfield" Ruiz, 18, and Jeremy Medina, 20, were both charged in the murder and appeared in court Thursday.
Jimero Starling, 19, and a couple friends were riding bikes on West Division, between Kedzie and Spaulding avenues when they were confronted by the two defendants along with three other uncharged individuals, prosecutors said.
Allegedly members of the Latin Kings street gang, Ruiz, Medina and their cohorts began throwing gang sign and yelling gang slogans, prosecutors said.
Starling tried to tell his aggressors that he was a Latin King, but the altercation turned physical, prosecutors said.
The victim and his friends ran, prosecutors said. But Starling was caught and beaten.
While fleeing, one of his friends turned back just in time to see Ruiz run up to him, fire one shot and run away.
Starling was struck in the head and died at the scene, prosecutors said.
The fight preceding the murder and the shooting were captured by POD camera, prosecutors said.
Ruiz, who has a history of psychiatric issues according to his attorney, was ordered held without bail by a Cook County judge on Thursday. The judge set Medina's bail at $750,000.
Ruiz is from the 3200 block of West Cortez Street; Medina is from the 1100 block of North Lawler Avenue, according to court records.
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