CRIMINAL COURTS BUILDING — Jacob Klepacz had been punched and kicked in a Lincoln Park robbery before he died, prosecutors said Saturday as the man charged with Klepacz's death was ordered held without bail.
Prosecutors said Klepacz and another man were walking when they were attacked by Marco Alvarado, 21, and another man during a robbery that netted money and cellphones. Klepacz's friend was also injured in the April 28 incident, prosecutors said.
Klepacz, 32, had spent the evening at bars in Lincoln Park watching the Blackhawks and was found unresponsive in the 1500 block of West Fullerton Avenue. His death was ruled a homicide earlier in July after it was determined he died of blunt-force trauma.
The murder of Klepacz was the first in the upscale Lincoln Park neighborhood since September of 2011, police said.
Charges were filed Friday against Alvarado, of the 2400 block of South Spaulding Avenue.
Alvarado lives with his mother and works at a diner as a dishwasher. He was arrested in a parking garage at 1333 W. North Ave. on July 17 at 5:45 p.m., according to a police report.
Alvarado is charged with three felonies: first-degree murder, murder while committing another felony and robbery.
On Saturday, Cook County Judge Peggy Chiampas ordered Alvarado held without bail in the incident, which attracted wide attention from friends, family and acquaintances who used social media to press for an arrest in the case.
Klepacz's father, Chester Klepacz, said he learned of the charges Friday through news reports.
"I'm glad that they caught them and got them off the streets," Chester Klepacz said. "But you know, as far as my son's concerned, it doesn't make me feel any better."
Klepacz's father is no stranger to tragedy. His own father was beaten to death when he was just 17 years old, he said. One man spent a year in jail for the murder, and others who were accused were released, Klepacz said.
"That's not going to happen this time," Klepacz said. "I'm going to make sure I don't miss anything and that these guys get the max [penalty]."
Alvarado is a self-admitted member of the Latin Kings, according to a police report.
In August of 2013, Alvarado was charged after police found him with a handgun with a defaced serial number. He was held on $20,000 bail at the time.
Friends and parents of Klepacz have voiced frustration over a lack of information from the Chicago Police Department in the months since Klepacz' death.
On Friday, Chester Klepacz said he was thankful police found his son's alleged killer but thought they could have done a better job communicating with family about the case.
"They really didn't tell us anything," he said. "I think they did a bad job on keeping us informed."
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