Pedro Vasquez, a 52-year-old Hispanic male, was tragically killed on October 17, 2018, in Chicago, Illinois. The incident occurred in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, where Vasquez was attacked in an alleyway. On that fateful day, Vasquez and another man were spending time in the alley when Ronald Saxon, a 56-year-old man, approached them. Saxon, who arrived in a white truck, initiated a violent confrontation by pushing Vasquez to the ground and assaulting him with punches and kicks to his body
and head. The situation escalated when Saxon brandished a gun, threatening the other man who attempted to intervene. Saxon then struck Vasquez with the gun and fired shots, hitting him in the head and cheek. Even after Vasquez lost consciousness, Saxon continued to beat him before fleeing the scene with Vasquez's cell phone.
Following the attack, Vasquez was transported to a hospital and later moved to a nursing home due to the severity of his injuries. Despite medical efforts, Vasquez succumbed to his injuries on May 25, 2020. An autopsy revealed that he died from complications related to the gunshot wounds and blunt force trauma he sustained during the attack. The Cook County medical examiner's office ruled his death a homicide.
Ronald Saxon was subsequently charged with first-degree murder and armed robbery in connection with the incident. According to court records, Saxon had a history of violent behavior and had boasted about the attack to a woman, showing her a photo of Vasquez in the hospital and claiming that Vasquez "got what he deserved." Saxon was arrested and held without bail, with his next court appearance scheduled for September 1, 2020. The case against Saxon highlighted the brutal nature of the attack and the prolonged suffering that Vasquez endured before his death.
