Defendant found guilty in murder of Chicago police Officer Andrés Mauricio Vásquez Lasso
A jury late Monday found defendant Steven Montano guilty of killing Chicago police Officer Andrés Mauricio Vásquez Lasso back in 2023.
Montano, now 21, was found guilty of first-degree murder and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.
Jurors also found that Montano caused death of peace officer while performing his duties — a charge that can carry a life sentence.
The jurors reached their verdict at 4:42 p.m., after about an hour and a half of deliberating. Montano's trial took six days.
Montano was charged with first-degree murder, but on Monday, but upon receiving their instructions, the jury was also asked to consider second-degree murder instead. That was contingent on whether or not they believed the defendant shot and killed Officer Vasquez Lasso because he believed he was acting in self-defense.
The jury ultimately convicted Montano of first-degree murder after all.
"I'm glad the jury clearly saw through all the nonsense and the lies and the fantasy," said Chicago Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara.
Catanzara spoke on behalf of Officer Vásquez Lasso's family Monday evening after the verdict was issued.
"They want Andres to be remembered for the Colombian immigrant that he was. I will be posting a video later that Andres had made himself back to his friends in Colombia, talking about being here in the winter — still living the American dream," Catanzara said. "His dream got cut short by a piece of garbage with a gun, with no conscience whatsoever other than not wanting to go to jail. Now he will spend the rest of his life in the Department of Corrections where he belongs."
Catanzara said the officer's family was relieved.
"I think it's probably more relief right now, because this nightmare drama is over, so to speak — and then they've got to come back for the sentencing, but that's pretty much a deal," Catanzara said. "But they just don't have to keep being dragged into this building, and they can start the long process ahead of healing and figuring out what life is going forward."
Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke said the case served as a reminder of the dangers police officers face.
"Chicago police Officer Andrés Vásquez Lasso gave his life because he took an oath to serve and protect," O'Neill Burke said. "He was killed in a senseless act of violence as he was running into danger, as police officers do every single day."
Chicago police Supt. Larry Snelling emphasized the need to keep officers safe.
"When we think about Andrés Vásquez Lasso, here was a person who went out to do good, to protect others, to keep the city safe — and lost his life doing it. His life was taken away from him — from someone who just did not care that he was taking a family member away from the Vásquez Lasso family," Snelling said. "With that, I just want to say to all of our officers out there, we want you to be safe — because when our officers are safe, they can keep everyone standing here safe. That's the job that they do on a daily basis."
The case went to the jury Monday after closing arguments from both the prosecution and defense.
"Andres Vasquez Lasso did not live a long life. He didn't grow old with his wife, he didn't die in her arms," Assistant Cook County State's Attorney Sara Grgurovic told the jury. "The last face that Andres Vasquez Lasso saw on this earth… the defendant. Steven Montano, his killer, his angel of death."
During the trial, Officer Vásquez Lasso's family had to rewatch video from some of his final moments, as prosecutors showed his own body-worn camera on which his last moments before he was shot and killed were documented.
On March 1, 2023, fallen officer Vasquez Lasso responded to a domestic violence call in the Gage Park neighborhood.
Linda Pirea, 37, called 911, according to prosecutors, because she believed her boyfriend [Montano], who was 18 at the time, was chasing her with a gun. The woman involved previously maintained she did not call 911 and said she was not threatened.
Using body-worn camera video, surveillance cameras, and witness testimony, the state showed Montano running from police until he and Officer Vasquez Lasso got to a school playground, where prosecutors say Montano shot and killed him.
The defense argued that the defendant's previous experiences with police made him fear for his safety.
On Friday, Montano testified in his own defense and admitted he heard the word "stop" as Vasquez Lasso pursued him, but said he didn't know an officer was behind him.
Prosecutors said, "The defendant is presumed innocent. He is not presumed truthful. It is an attempt to evade his responsibility."
Prosecutors showed jurors Officer Vásquez Lasso's uniform and revisited video showing the officer's squad car, its lights, and its size. Prosecutors said the fact that Vásquez Lasso was a police officer was "hard to miss."
The defense countered, "I am not blaming Officer Vasquez Lasso. What I'm saying is that there was a better way that this could have been handled."
First-degree murder carries a sentence of 20 to 60 years in prison. Adding on that the person was a police officer, again, it could mean a natural life in prison.
Whether Montano gets a mandatory life sentence will be up to the judge.
CBS News Chicago asked O'Neill Burke if the State's Attorney's office is concerned about an appeal in the case, given the defendant's young age. She said there is always a chance of an appeal, but she is very confident in the verdict.
Post-trial motions or sentencing is set for Sept. 3.
