On a cold December evening in Gary, Indiana, the life of 22-year-old Rolando Correa was cut tragically short. On December 2, 2013, Correa was fatally shot while coming to the aid of his neighbors who were the victims of a home invasion. Three other people were also injured in the incident.
In the aftermath of the shooting, an investigation was launched, which soon pointed to the involvement of the Latin Kings street gang.
One of the individuals implicated in the crime was Mark Cherry, then 21 years old. Cherry was wounded during the gunfight that resulted in Correa's death and was taken to a hospital in Oak Lawn, Illinois, for treatment. He was later charged with murder, attempted murder, attempted robbery, criminal confinement, and battery in connection with the home invasion and shooting. However, due to a lack of communication between the hospital and law enforcement and jurisdictional issues, Cherry was released from the hospital in February 2014 without police being notified. This prompted a nationwide alert for the murder suspect. In May 2014, accompanied by his attorney, Mark Cherry turned himself in to the Gary Police at the Lake County Jail.
Further investigation and legal proceedings revealed a broader criminal enterprise. Federal prosecutors brought a racketeering conspiracy case against members of the Latin Kings. In May 2018, two members of the gang, Darrick Vallodolid, also known as 'Deuce,' and Robert Nieto, also known as 'Cowboy,' were convicted by a federal jury. The evidence presented at their trial showed that Nieto had assisted in setting up the home invasion that led to Rolando Correa's death. Nieto monitored a police scanner to help the robbers escape. The convictions of Vallodolid and Nieto were part of a larger effort to dismantle the violent activities of the Latin Kings in the region.
