Man charged with shooting, killing Chicago Police Officer Andres Vasquez-Lasso denied bail
CHICAGO (WLS) -- The man accused of shooting and killing Chicago Police Officer Andres Vasquez-Lasso while he responded to a domestic violence call in March was in court on Wednesday.
Police said Steven Montano, 18, ran away from police as the officer chased after him, and that's when, prosecutors said, the two exchanged gunfire. Vasquez-Lasso was shot five times, and died from his injuries. Montano was shot in the face.
Montano has been charged with one felony count of murder, one felony count of unauthorized use of a weapon, one felony count of firing a weapon near a school, one misdemeanor count of interfering with reporting domestic violence and one misdemeanor count of simple assault.
Montano is facing first-degree murder charges, and could face life in prison if convicted.
On Wednesday, there was a new bond hearing, since Montano was in the hospital with injuries during the first. This time, Montano's public defender tried to emphasize his connections to the community. She said he was once a mentor in Little Village.
But, the judge, denied him bond, saying he is a danger to that very same community.
Chicago police officers packed the courtroom, where Montano was seen for the first time in court over Zoom, sporting gauze and a bandage over his injured right cheek, and saying nothing other than acknowledging his presence to the judge.
His public defender painted him as someone who was trying to do things right. She said he was a mentor to the running club and janitor at New Life Centers in Little Village. He graduated with honors from his K-8 Little Village Academy, and went to selective enrollment Westinghouse High School before dropping out during his senior year.
"Steven Montano was last a youth participant at New Life Centers in 2021. He worked with us for a summer as part of the city's Chicago Youth Service Corps. Due to participant privacy, we are not able to share additional information about Steven," New Life Centers said in a statement to ABC7.
Chicago FOP President John Catanzara was there with police to stand for the slain officer, shot and killed, prosecutors said, by Montano after a foot chase near Sawyer Elementary School on the afternoon of March 1 in front of children who had to seek cover under a slide.
"I don't know where his life changed, but it wasn't by accident. It was by design. He decided he wanted to go the fast and loose path, and play the run and gun street game," Catanzara said. "We will always show up. I will be at all of these as many times as I can as many times as necessary. Andres gave his life. He will never be here again to defend or speak for himself. So that's what we're here doing for him."
The judge, in this case, said, "You murdered a Chicago police officer, and you murdered him in cold blood," and "you are caught on scene red handed."
Prosecutors said the entire incident is captured on Vasquez-Lasso's body camera.
"This should have been over and done today. This isn't a case of who done it. It's pretty clear," Catanzara said.
Montano's next court hearing is April 5.
