Following the arrest of murder suspect Xavier Tate, NBC Chicago’s Alex Maragos takes a look into the timeline between officer Luis Huesca’s killing and Tate’s capture.
Editor's Note: On May 3, Investigators offered some of the most in-depth details behind their investigation into the murder of Chicago Police Officer Luis Huesca, revealing how they identified and ultimately arrested a suspect in the killing following a days-long manhunt. Our updated story can be found here. Our original story continues below.
Xavier Tate, a suspect in the murder of Chicago Police Officer Luis Huesca, has been arrested in suburban Glendale Heights, according to authorities.
Chicago police confirmed Tate's arrest, working in conjunction with multiple agencies, including the U.S. Marshals Service.
”Xavier L. Tate Jr. was taken into custody by members of the Chicago Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force this evening in Glendale Heights for the murder of CPD Officer Luis Huesca,” the statement read. “We thank all of our law enforcement partners who assisted in the apprehension of this suspect as we work to bring justice to Officer Huesca and his family.
“The investigation continues and no further information is available at this time. We ask that the people of this city continue to support the Huesca family by keeping them in your prayers as they continue to mourn the loss of a beloved son, brother and uncle,” the statement concluded.
Huesca's family has also been notified of the arrest, confirming the information to NBC Chicago's Courtney Sisk.
According to court records, the 22-year-old is accused of using a 40-caliber handgun to fatally shoot Huesca, who was found with multiple gunshot wounds on April 21 near his Gage Park home. Police discovered the fellow officer, who had been shot in the face, after responding to a ShotSpotter alert at 2:53 a.m. near West 56th Street and South Kedzie Avenue, according to a police report.
Huesca was rushed to the University of Chicago Medical Center and later pronounced dead from his injuries. A 6-year veteran of the force, Huesca had just gotten off a shift and was heading home in uniform when the shooting occurred. His Toyota SUV was stolen following the shooting but was later recovered.
Court records show Tate, the suspect, was due in court earlier last week on an unrelated matter but did not appear. On April 22, one day following the deadly shooting, authorities released still images and video of a person of interest.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.
In an update late Friday, Chicago police identified Tate as the individual in the previously-released footage.
Previously, Caschous Tate, a reported associate of Xavier Tate's, had been taken into custody in connection with the case. According to prosecutors, members of the Great Lakes Regional Task Force and the Chicago Police Department's Investigative Response Team went to a house near 108th and South Hale to talk to a woman about the murder.
Tate, they said, answered the door and told officers to wait because his girlfriend was naked in a back room.
Another officer then observed Caschous Tate exit a back window and use a lawn chair to toss an item over the fence. The item was Huesca's gun, which prosecutors said had all but two digits of its serial number scratched off.
Near the lawn chair, prosecutors said, they found the magazine.
Tate is described as an associate of Tate, Jr., the man charged with Huesca's murder.
Police said he can be seen on numerous surveillance videos from shops near Huesca's Gage Park home.
The FBI had listed Tate, Jr. on its most wanted list and released a poster describing him and noting a tattoo on the right side of his neck of the word "majesty" under a crown and additional tattoos on his chest and body.
The Fraternal Order of Police and a number of other organizations offered a $100,000 reward for information that leads to his arrest and conviction.
