3 teens charged in fatal stabbing, robbery of homeless man in the Loop

Three teenage suspects have been charged with first-degree murder and robbery in connection with the fatal stabbing of a homeless man in Chicago's Loop neighborhood.

According to prosecutors, Wininayker Rodriguez-Vasquez, a 16-year-old Venezuelan immigrant, was identified by his mother and an associate after he was taken into custody hours after the Sunday morning attack. He is charged as an adult and ordered held during his first court hearing on Tuesday. His two alleged accomplices, both 14-year-olds, were charged in juvenile court with murder and robbery.

The victims were walking down South Wabash Avenue around 5:45 a.m. when they were confronted by the group of teenagers. One of the teens allegedly ran off with a victim's skeleton mask, prompting Rodriguez-Vasquez to kick him from behind and stab him with a knife. The other teen then hit his accomplice with a metal rod before the group fled on foot.

The teens made their way to a Red Line train station, where they boarded a bus after the attack. A witness passing by the scene found the victim's body and called authorities. He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he died from stab wounds in his back. The Cook County medical examiner's office ruled the death a homicide.

Rodriguez-Vasquez and his alleged accomplices were arrested around 4 p.m. Sunday after video surveillance showed multiple males matching their descriptions. Rodriguez-Vasquez was found with a knife at the scene, and had no prior arrests in Illinois, but had contact with law enforcement in Texas last year.

The investigation revealed that Rodriguez-Vasquez had been seen displaying a knife to his group before and after the attack, making stabbing motions and wearing one of the victim's masks. He is currently being held in Cook County Jail awaiting a December 16 court appearance.

man this is like something straight outta a movie like, what's wrong with these kids?! they're just 16 and 14 years old and they're already committing murder it's not right, you know? and the fact that one of them took off with the victim's mask after stabbing him is just wild i mean, can you even imagine being in that situation, seeing your friend get hurt like that?! it's too much

This whole thing just freaks me out! I mean, can't we all just live together peacefully? These kids are so young, 16 and 14 years old... how could they do something so heinous?! The fact that one of them ran off with a skeleton mask is just sick. And the victim's own body was used as some sort of prop for their twisted game. It's not just the murder itself, it's the senseless violence and lack of empathy displayed by these teens. They're lucky they weren't armed with more than just knives... or who knows what could've happened?

This case just breaks my heart, you know? I mean, those poor kids were already struggling with their own stuff, and then they go out and hurt someone like that... It's just so senseless. As a retiree, I've seen some rough things in my time, but it's times like this that make me want to pull my hair out! We need to do better as a society, you know? Make sure our young people are getting the support they need, instead of turning to violence and crime. And what's with all these kids being charged as adults already?! It's just so harsh... I mean, I get that justice needs to be served, but can't we try to find a way to help them too?

omg u wont bliev wat happnd in chicago lol... those teens r so messed up! stabbin some homeless dude just cuz they wanted his mask idk wut kinda sick minds these kids have. its not like the victim was even doin nothin... just walkin down da street minding his biz. and now hes dead cuz of dem 3 teens who cant even be trusted to be on their own. its all so sad & frustrating at da same time

I don't usually comment but... this whole thing is super crazy . Like, these teens are literally just kids and they're charged as adults? It feels like they're being treated like grown men instead of 14-year-olds who shouldn't even be holding knives. I mean, Wininayker was only 16 and had no prior arrests in Illinois, but he's already facing life in prison if convicted. And what about the two other teens who are charged with juvenile crimes? Do they get special treatment because they're younger? It feels like we should be talking about rehabilitation and helping them become better people instead of just punishing them harshly.

Ugh, can you believe those teens? They think they're some kinda gang or somethin'! I mean, stabbing someone to death and robbin' 'em like that? It's just senseless violence. And what really gets me is that they were just a bunch of scared kids, 14 years old! They should be in juvenile court, not facin' adult charges. And Rodriguez-Vasquez, 16 and already takin' lives? That's just wrong. I'm all for harsh punishment, but this guy's gonna grow up thinkin' he can do whatever he wants without consequences. It's a cryin' shame.

You know what really gets me about this story? It's how easily three lives were changed in an instant. A young guy, Wininayker, just lost his future and the life of another human being. And think about it, he was only 16... He could've made different choices that day, or even avoided getting into a situation where things escalated so fast.

It makes me wonder, what's the point of us making poor decisions when we're young? Is it just about learning from our mistakes, or is there something more to it? Can we learn to control our emotions and impulses before they lead us down a path of destruction?

Anyway, I think this case teaches us that every choice has consequences. The choices we make at a young age can shape who we become later on in life. Let's hope these kids get the help they need and turn their lives around

This is just so sad ... three teens doing this kinda thing are like total strangers from their future selves ... if we could take away that anger and frustration, all that hate... maybe they wouldn't do something so wild & crazy ... I don't know what drove 'em to do it but stabbing some poor guy just 'cause of a mask... is beyond wrong ... at least they're being held accountable now

Wow , can't believe these teens were so reckless! Interesting how they thought running away with the mask would be a good idea... like that was gonna help them cover their tracks lol. And what's up with the metal rod? That's some crazy stuff for 14-year-olds to be doing. Just glad the victim got reported and the police could catch these guys before anyone else got hurt

ugh, this whole thing is just so messed up ... like, i'm not even gonna get into how some teens think it's okay to stab someone over a stupid mask ... but the way the investigation was handled? so weird . they were able to identify the 16-year-old after his mom came forward and some associate spilled the tea ... and then he gets charged as an adult for this .

and can we talk about how these 14-year-olds are just getting a slap on the wrist for their crimes? like, i know they're in juvenile court and all , but murder and robbery is no joke . it's not something that should be taken lightly or handed out with a participation trophy .

anyway, back to this 16-year-old... i just wish there was more context about how he got into trouble in the first place . like, did his parents or teachers know anything? were there any warning signs? it's always more complex than we're led to believe .

oh, and can we please talk about how the forum is being totally unusable today? i swear, they changed the layout again and now nothing makes sense ...

Those poor kids are going through so much already, you know? Being homeless is tough on anyone, but to be on the streets like that... I feel bad for their families too, having to go through this. 16 and already dealing with murder charges? It's just heartbreaking . And those two younger ones, in juvenile court... it's a whole different world when you're not an adult yet . Anyway, the fact that they were all on the bus after committing such a heinous crime is crazy... what's wrong with some people, right?

Ugh I'm still trying to wrap my head around this Chicago is literally having a rough year right now And it's so sad that they were just walking down the street and got attacked like that... it's just not right, you know? Anyway, I guess they caught these 3 teens who did it though Wininayker is supposed to be held in jail until his court hearing on Dec 16th Can't wait to see how this all plays out...

Ugh, layout fail on this news page ... can't believe I'm even writing about this. So, like, these teens are charged with murder and robbery for stabbing some homeless guy in Chicago... it's just so sad . And the thing is, their moms were even able to identify them from surveillance footage, but still, they thought it was cool to go around stabbing people . The fact that one of them took a victim's mask and started running off with it is just, like, totally psycho .

Anywayz, can we talk about the design here? The font is all jumbled up, and there's no clear separation between sections... it's like they just threw all this info on the page without even caring about how it looks . And what's with the tiny print at the bottom? Can't we get some bigger text in here? It's hard to read, especially for old peeps .

man this is crazy how can some teens think its okay to just take a life like that? they got charged with murder and robbery, hopefully they get the maximum sentence it's not right that one of them is treated different than the others though 16 or 14 years old shouldnt be expected to deal with adult crimes like this

can you believe this?? three teens as young as 14 causing such senseless violence . i mean i get it, chicago has a lot of homeless people on the streets but stabbing some guy over a mask? that's just crazy . and now they're being charged with first degree murder... it's not like we don't know about these types of cases in chicago already . anyway, 16 year old wininayker rodriquez-vasquez is being held without bail and his trial is set for dec 16th . lets hope the justice system works this time

I cant even believe what happened in Chicago . The thought of those teens just walking around with knives and attacking people like that... it's so senseless. I feel for the family of the homeless guy, he was just trying to survive on the streets and ended up getting stabbed in broad daylight. It's a reminder that we need better mental health support and resources for people struggling on the streets .

And what's even more disturbing is that these 16-year-old suspects were able to plan and execute such a violent attack without any real adult supervision or guidance. I'm glad they're being held accountable, but it raises so many questions about how this happened in the first place .

I think we need to have a bigger conversation about gun control, mental health, and how we can prevent these kinds of tragedies from happening again .

This is just another example of how young people are getting caught up in violence . I mean, think about it - these guys were barely out of high school and already involved in something that could end up killing someone. It's like they're being molded into tiny versions of the same cycle of violence that we're trying to break down in our communities.

I'm not sure what the solutions are here, but I know that our justice system needs to do a better job of addressing systemic issues and providing resources for young people who are struggling. These kids were already vulnerable because they didn't have access to education or opportunities, so now we're punishing them with adult charges? That's just not fair .

We need to start talking about how to prevent this kind of violence, rather than just reacting after it happens. We need to invest in our communities and make sure that young people are getting the support they need to succeed, not just get arrested .

I think it's kinda cool that these three teens are already being charged as adults . I mean, if anyone should be held accountable for their actions, it's definitely them! And yeah, why not throw 'em into the juvenile court too? I'm sure they'll learn a valuable lesson about accountability and responsibility from their little trip to adult court .

Ugh, this is just so sad ... I mean, can you believe those teens were so reckless and violent? They literally stabbed someone to death over a stupid skeleton mask . And now they're just going to be let off with some minor charges because of their age? It's just not fair . I think Wininayker should've gotten the adult sentence considering his age, but still... it's all about protecting society from people like him. But what really gets me is how violent they were before the attack too - stabbing motions and wearing a mask... it was like they thought they were invincible . And don't even get me started on those two little rascals who got off scot-free .