Did ‘Kia Boys’ kill bartender Salvador Herrera? Police seek answers, Crime Stoppers offers $10K

Cook County Crime Stoppers is offering a $10,000 reward for information that helps Chicago police solve the 2023 murder of bartender Salvador Herrera, who was shot and killed on his way home from work.

Officers patrolling the 700 block of South Loomis found the 42-year-old slumped behind the wheel of a crashed vehicle around 2:45 a.m. on October 15, 2023. He had been shot in the back and was rushed to Stroger Hospital, where he died.

A witness told police that four men were seen running from the scene immediately after shots were fired toward Herrera’s car. Nearby, police discovered a Hyundai with a broken rear-side window and a stripped steering column, leading them to suspect Herrera had interrupted a group of “Kia Boys” in the middle of a vehicle theft.

Salvador Herrera (Cook County Crime Stoppers)

The killing came during a surge of armed robberies across Chicago from 2021 through early 2023. Many of those holdups were committed by robbery crews who traveled in stolen Kias and Hyundais with punched-out rear windows.

Herrera’s family described him as a devoted Chicago sports fan and a man who loved his city, even as it failed to protect him.

“I’m enraged and want justice,” his sister, Marcelina, told the Sun-Times days after the murder.

Another sister, Remedios, said, “He loved his city. And his city let him down.”

Crime Stoppers said it is offering up to $10,000 for information that leads to an arrest or indictment in the case. Tips can be submitted anonymously by calling 1-800-535-STOP or emailing [email protected]. Anonymous tipsters will be given a code number to claim the reward if their information proves valuable.

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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 [email protected]