Leonardo Franco-Salgado’s approach to life was perhaps best exemplified by one of his favorite Mexican expressions: “echale ganas,” which roughly means to give something your all.
That’s what he did when he arrived in Chicago from Mexico in 2000, installing carpeting and flooring for different companies and under various contractors. His work ethic paid off when in 2012 he became his own boss and opened his own company.
Franco-Salgado’s American dream was shattered Sunday when he was killed in a hit-and-run crash in Logan Square. Now his wife, Nancy Torres, is asking the public for help finding those responsible after Chicago police released a suspect without filing charges.
“I’m asking anybody with information to call detectives. There’s a lot of cases in Chicago, but in our household there’s only one; we don’t want the case to go cold,” Torres said. “He was a really good man, an exceptional father and all his kids miss him.”
Franco-Salgado, 42, was on a motorized scooter and stopped at an intersection about 2:20 a.m. in the 3900 block of West Fullerton Avenue when a driver in a silver-colored Honda Civic failed to stop at a red light and struck him, according to police. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver fled the scene of the crash and was last seen traveling eastbound on Fullerton at Pulaski Road, police said.
On Thursday, police said they brought in a person for questioning hours after the crash, but they later released them without charges. Torres, who spoke with detectives, said they didn’t explain to her why the person wasn’t charged.
“I suppose there wasn’t enough evidence to charge him, and he was let go,” Torres said. “I’m imploring the public’s help, any businesses that have cameras.”
The 41-year-old said her husband had gone to see a friend about a missing key to his work truck when he was struck.
“He wasn’t out joyriding, the poor guy just went to get his key,” she said.
Torres said the emotional toll of losing her husband was magnified because the couple’s 9th wedding anniversary was Wednesday, a few days after the crash. They were discussing the possibility of a future trip to Hawaii to celebrate.
Franco-Salgado was an avid runner, Torres said, adding that the two had recently completed a half-marathon. He had also just finished building a tree house at their home for their two young boys.
Torres also said her husband was a caring stepfather for her 25-year-old daughter and 19-year-old son. She said Franco-Salgado was instrumental in the teen becoming a first-generation college student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
When Torres gave her son the devastating news, he wanted to come home to support his family, even though he was in the middle of midterms. But she reminded him of his father’s mantra.
“I told him you have to stay, you have to do your exams and then come home,” Torres said. “Like Leonardo always said, echale ganas.”
