#38: Gunman shot 12-year-old boy in the head while on $1,000 bail for one of Illinois’ most serious gun crimes

A three-time felon on bail for one of Illinois’ most serious gun crimes opened fire on a Chicago family’s birthday celebration, shooting a 12-year-old boy in the head this week, prosecutors said. Incredibly, a Cook County judge made Isaiah Renteria pay just $1,000 to get out of jail on a Class X armed habitual criminal charge in November and did not require him to go on to electronic monitoring.

On Friday, Renteria became the 38th person accused of killing or shooting—or attempting to kill or shoot—someone in Chicago while awaiting trial for a felony this year. The alleged crimes involved at least 76 victims, 18 of whom died.

Isaiah Renteria | CPD

Renteria, 22, and his alleged accomplice, 23-year-old Pedro Molina, are each charged with five counts of attempted first-degree murder. Prosecutors also charged Renteria with three felony counts of aggravated fleeing for allegedly leading police on a 12-mile chase that reached speeds over 100 mph.

Grandma’s birthday

On Tuesday evening, family members gathered at a home in the 1800 block of West 21st Place to celebrate a woman’s birthday, and many of her grandchildren attended. Around 10:30 p.m., part of the family gathered in the alley to look at a relative’s new car. Three 12-year-olds were among the group, prosecutors said.

The family was laughing and talking when shots rang out. There were so many shots fired at once, a concealed carry holder in the group thought the sound was created by fireworks—until he turned around and saw two men wearing black masks over their faces and heads shooting at them.

He pulled his weapon and returned fire, then noticed his 12-year-old cousin on the ground. The boy had been shot in the temple and was gravely wounded. Prosecutors said the boy underwent emergency surgery and remained critically wounded in the hospital’s intensive care unit.

According to authorities, the concealed carry holder told police the gunmen were two light-skinned Hispanic men, with one being tall and skinny, the other heavyset.

A high-speed chase

Police determined that a black Dodge Charger with distinctive stripes and no license plates had been circling the area before the shooting, and cops saw the car. Within 20 seconds of receiving calls about the shooting, officers in the area spotted the vehicle and tried to pull it over, prosecutors said.

Pedro Molina | CPD

The driver sped away and headed onto the Stevenson Expressway. As the car sped toward the suburbs, a federal law enforcement helicopter tracked it. Authorities said the driver ran over spike strips at one point but continued to drive the car for another seven miles after his tires were punctured.

Prosecutors said police finally caught up with the car after it stopped in southwest suburban La Grange. Cops yanked Renteria from behind the wheel and Molina from the back seat. A third person in the front passenger seat was also detained, but they have not been charged.

Molina told officers that he had been shot, and he was taken to a hospital for treatment. But prosecutors said doctors determined that he didn’t have any injuries and discharged him.

Two days after the shooting, police received a call from someone who found a gun along the Dodge Charger’s route. Ballistics tests on the weapon suggest it could have been used in the shooting, prosecutors said.

On November 13, prosecutors charged Renteria with being an armed habitual criminal and a felon in possession of a firearm. Judge Barbara Dawkins ordered him to pay that $1,000 deposit to get out of jail. He returned home the next day.

Renteria was convicted of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon in 2020 and two burglaries in 2019, prosecutors said. Molina was also convicted of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon in 2018.

On Friday, Judge David Navarro held Renteria and Molina without bail.

The “not horrible” series

This report continues our coverage of individuals accused of killing, shooting, or trying to kill or shoot others while on bond for a pending felony case. CWBChicago began our series of reports in November 2019 after Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans publicly stated, “we haven’t had any horrible incidents occur” under the court’s bond reform initiative.

The actual number of murders and shootings committed by people on felony bail is undoubtedly much higher than the numbers seen here. Since 2017, CPD has brought charges in less than 5% of non-fatal shootings and 33% of murders, according to the city’s data. 

You can support CWBChicago’s work by becoming a subscriber today.

#1: Man who tried to shoot 3 outside a North Side restaurant on New Year’s Day had a pending felony case, prosecutors say (January 6, 2022)

#2: Felon awaiting trial for 4 sexual assault cases escaped from electronic monitoring and tried to kill investigators who tracked him down, prosecutors say (January 15, 2022)

#3: With felony gun case pending, man shot passerby during “exchange of gunfire,” prosecutors say (January 23, 2022)

#4: Seven-time felon on electronic monitoring for his 4th gun case tried to shoot and kill his girlfriend’s father, prosecutors say (January 26, 2022)

#5: Teen on electronic monitoring for TWO gun cases carjacked a Lyft driver, then shot a 15-year-old at point-blank range, prosecutors say (February 10, 2022)

#6: Man killed nursing student months after going AWOL from felony DUI case, prosecutors say (February 20, 2022)

#7: Man shot and killed his own brother while on bail for a felony gun case, prosecutors say (February 22, 2022)

#8: Beloved Hyde Park bartender was killed by a robber who has 3 pending felony cases, prosecutors said (March 7, 2022)

#9: Man involved in New Year’s shoot-out that left one dead was on bail for his 3rd gun felony, prosecutors say (March 8, 2022)

#10: An 11-time convicted felon shot a 3-year-old and tried to kill the boy’s mother while on felony bail, prosecutors say (March 11, 2022)

#11: Man allegedly stabbed another to death 4 days after getting released on felony bail (March 29, 2022)

#12: He opened fire on his ex’s house, killing a man, prosecutors say. But he was supposed to be home 24/7 for a pending felony gun case. (March 29, 2022)

#13: Man shot a woman, fired toward 4 others, while on bond for being a felon in possession of a firearm, prosecutors say (April 7, 2022)

#14: Man killed his parents in an Uptown senior center while on bond for federal armed robbery and gun charges, prosecutors say (April 14. 2022)

#15: Four-time felon opened fire on a carload of victims, injuring 2 while on bond for felony gun case, prosecutors say (April 20, 2022)

#16: Man shot his ex this month and her boyfriend last month, prosecutors say. He was on felony bail. (April 24, 2022)

#17: Man tried to kill 2 cable TV installers over a missing dog, prosecutors say. He was on bail at the time. (April 30, 2022)

#18: Man escaped from electronic monitoring and ran over a cop in a stolen car while fleeing a murder scene, prosecutors say (May 19, 2022)

#19: A two-time felon circled a West Side neighborhood for 15 minutes looking for someone to kill in a revenge murder, prosecutors say. He was on bond for a gun case at the time. (May 21, 2022)

#20: Alleged mass shooter had a felony gun case pending when he killed 2, wounded 7 near Magnificent Mile, records show (May 22, 2022)

#21: Five months after escaping from electronic monitoring, he helped shoot up a carload of people, injuring 2, prosecutors say (May 29, 2022)

#22: Man accused of setting ‘Walking Man’ on fire has been AWOL from 2 felony cases for 15 months, court records show (May 30, 2022)

#23: Two weeks after being charged with having a stolen rifle in a hijacked car, he allegedly shot a man with a rifle after getting out of a hijacked car (June 11, 2022)

#24: Gunman left a woman paralyzed in River North just 4 weeks after officials sent his felony gun case to a “peace circle,” prosecutors say (June 13, 2022)

#25: Teen acted as murderer’s driver while awaiting trial for carjacking, stolen car cases: prosecutors say (July 6, 2022)

#26: Man shot victim 5 times, days after being charged in a felony narcotics case, prosecutors say (July 7, 2022)

#27: Concealed carry holder shot man who opened fire on his car at McDonald’s, prosecutors say (July 14, 2022)

#28: Terrorism, attempted murder charges filed against man who allegedly detonated bomb on Pink Line in May (August 8, 2022)

#29: Three-time felon shot robbery victim while on bail for felony gun case, prosecutors say (August 23, 2022)

#30: Concealed carry holder shoots 7-time felon who tried to kill him, prosecutors say. That man was on bail for a felony gun case. (August 25, 2022)

#31: Anti-violence worker, who’s also a 9-time felon, shot himself in the butt at a Bucktown gas station while on felony bail, prosecutors say (August 25, 2022)

#32: Killer shot motorcyclist 16 times while awaiting trial for a felony gun case, prosecutors say (September 1, 2022)

#33: Man killed his half-sister’s boyfriend while on electronic monitoring for shooting someone else, prosecutors say (September 5, 2022)

#34: Two months after posting bail for a felony gun case, he participated in a botched robbery that left the victim dead, prosecutors say (September 8, 2022)

#35: One week after being released on felony gun charge, man shot and killed rival gang member in random attack, prosecutors say (September 8, 2022)

#36: Driver exchanged shots with gunman in another car while on felony bail, prosecutors say (September 10, 2022)

#37: Man shot woman dead because he didn’t want her at a block party—while he was supposed to be home on electronic monitoring for 3 felonies, prosecutors say (September 15, 2022)

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About CWBChicago 6024 Articles
CWBChicago was created in 2013 by five residents of Wrigleyville and Boystown who had grown disheartened with inaccurate information that was being provided at local Community Policing (CAPS) meetings. Our coverage area has expanded since then to cover Lincoln Park, River North, The Loop, Uptown, and other North Side Areas. But our mission remains unchanged: To provide original public safety reporting with better context and greater detail than mainstream media outlets. Our editorial email address is news@cwbchicago.com