A 27-year-old man is facing charges in connection with a shooting outside an illegal nightclub last month on the Northwest Side that left a 19-year-old woman dead and two others wounded.
Rusten Relucio was denied bail Thursday on murder and aggravated battery charges during a hearing before Cook County Judge Susana Ortiz.
Meagan Bilbo was attending a party on Dec. 5 at the club in the 4800 block of North Central Avenue in Jefferson Park, when a masked person opened fire outside in a parking lot, prosecutors said in court.
The club — which was operating illegally in a building that had signage of a computer repair shop — was open from Thursday-Sunday every week, prosecutors said.
Bilbo was struck in the chest and her 22-year-old boyfriend was shot in the abdomen as they exited the building through a back door of the club about 4:30 a.m. A 23-year-old man was struck in the abdomen and leg, prosecutors said.
No motive for the shooting was provided in court, but prosecutors said they were able to connect Relucio to the attack through a Dodge Durango that was spotted driving by the club multiple times before the shooting.
Relucio’s face was “clearly captured” by video surveillance cameras as he got out of the front passenger seat of the Durango at a gas station about an hour before the murder, prosecutors said. Relucio was wearing unique clothing in the footage, which also showed a skull tattoo on his left hand, which was missing several fingers, prosecutors added.
The Durango was seen pulling into a parking lot near the club and then driving into an alley just moments before the shots were fired, prosecutors said. A person wearing clothing that matched Relucio’s was then seen walking toward the club and firing multiple shots, prosecutors said.
The SUV is registered in Relucio’s name and cell phone records showed his phone was in the area at the time of the shooting, prosecutors added.
Relucio works as a forklift operator, his defense attorney Dan Herbert said.
“The allegations against my client are in drastic contrast ... to how he has lived his life,” Herbert said after court. “He’s never been in trouble, involved in gangs.”
Prosecutors said Relucio had two prior convictions for traffic offenses that he received supervision for, but no violent criminal background.
He was expected back in court Feb. 16.
