CHICAGO — A migrant accused of possessing a loaded firearm during a traffic stop told Chicago cops that he carried the gun because somebody murdered his son and the police haven’t done anything about it, according to a CPD report. According to court records, this marks Brayan Corniel-Guitierrez’s seventh arrest in Cook County. He also had an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in court on a pending charge of possessing ammunition.
Later at the police station, the 24-year-old stated that he was in jail because the cops “caught me piped up,” the report stated.
Corniel-Guitierrez was the front passenger in a car that police stopped for a code violation in the 800 block of West 71st Street on November 24. The police said they saw him bend forward and sit up again as they approached the car, making them suspect he had stashed something.
According to CPD, they found a loaded .40 caliber handgun under his seat and a loaded .40 caliber ammunition magazine inside his crossbody bag.
An officer recalled Corniel-Guitierrez explaining, “La cargo porque mataron a mi hijo y ustedes no hacen nada.” That, according to police, translates to, “I carry it because they killed my son and you guys do nothing.”
According to his arrest report, he made another “excited utterance” at the police station: “Estoy preso estava pistolado,” which supposedly translates to “I’m in jail because they caught me piped up.” “Pipe” is a slang term for a firearm.
Judge Susana Ortiz declined a prosecution request to keep Corniel-Guitierrez in jail, deciding instead to release him on an ankle monitor.
Corniel-Guitierrez was arrested in the West Loop under similar circumstances on August 17. He was the front seat passenger of a car with a broken side window replaced by cardboard in the 900 block of West Randolph, according to a separate CPD report.
When cops asked the driver to turn off the Hyundai, they used a pair of pliers to turn the ignition. Officers then discovered that someone had also peeled the steering column.
Officers looking for Corniel-Guitierrez’s ID allegedly found a 9-millimeter bullet inside Corniel-Guitierrez’s crossbody bag. The report said they also found a 9-millimeter handgun under his seat, but the driver claimed ownership of the weapon.
Corniel-Guitierrez’s other brushes with the law include:
- A domestic battery arrest in April 2023, which was dropped when the alleged victim failed to show up in court.
- He was arrested in May 2023 for multiple registration, driving, and motor vehicle violations in the Loop. Court records show he failed to appear in court three times, but the outcome of the case is not clear.
- Retail theft at a store in the 1600 block of North Harlem in October 2023. He received a sentence of three days time served.
- Retail theft at Zara, 700 North Michigan, in November 2023. The case was dropped when the store failed to appear in court.
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