Giovanni Galindo, a 24-year-old male from Chicago, IL, was tragically killed on September 5, 2014. Giovanni was found dead in his home located in the 6200 block of South Kilpatrick Avenue. The incident occurred during a marijuana transaction that went wrong. Giovanni was shot multiple times by Pedro Corral, a 16-year-old boy who had arranged to meet Giovanni under the pretense of purchasing marijuana. Corral, along with his co-defendant Luis Alfaro, intended to rob Giovanni of the marijuana.
During the transaction, Corral pulled out a semi-automatic handgun and shot Giovanni several times before fleeing the scene with the marijuana.
The police investigation revealed that Giovanni was found in the stairway leading to the basement from the outside of the house, with a shattered jar of high-quality marijuana nearby. Witnesses reported hearing three to four shots and seeing two men running from the scene out of the backyard. Giovanni was pronounced dead at the scene at 5:18 p.m. by the medical examiner's office.
Pedro Corral was charged with first-degree murder and ordered held without bail by Judge James Brown in bond court. Corral's attorney mentioned that Corral was a junior in high school who did community service with his church and lived with his family, who had recently lost their home in a financial crisis. Despite having no previous criminal history, Corral was charged as an adult for the murder of Giovanni Galindo.
Luis Alfaro, the co-defendant, was also charged and held in lieu of $1 million bail. Additionally, Anthony Guedes, another suspect involved in the incident, was extradited from Kissimmee, Florida, to face charges related to Giovanni's murder. Guedes was identified as one of the participants in the fatal shooting and was found with a gunshot wound to the head.
The case against Pedro Corral proceeded to trial, where he was found guilty of first-degree murder and personally discharging a firearm in connection with Giovanni's death. The tragic loss of Giovanni Galindo, a young father of two, left a lasting impact on his family and community.
