Community reacts to suspects being arrested in Gage Park family massacre

CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) - The news of the arrest of Diego Uribe Cruz and his girlfriend, Jafeth Ramos, spread quickly on the 2300 block of South Ridgeway where the two young lovers lived.

“I never in a million years would think he would do something like that. That's shocking to know now that you live, you don't know who you live next to no more,” said neighbor Angelita Morales, who lives two houses down.

But now she and others know something horribly disturbing. The young couple who lived next door are now accused of, and police say have confessed to, one of the most horrendous murders Chicago has ever seen, which is the murders of the six members of the Martinez family who were shot, stabbed and beaten to death in February.

Diego Uribe Cruz and Jafeth Ramos lived with her parents and have a baby boy, who neighbors estimate was born sometime last fall.

“They used to come outside and we, just hi and bye and how you doing, and talk about the baby and he would always park his car right here, it was a red car,” Morales said.

Neighbors saw police outside the home Wednesday night, which is when the arrests were made, but it was very low key.

“I was coming home from soccer game and I just saw a detective car and yea, but I didn't know what was happening,” said Mario Sanchez.

Police said the motive for the Martinez family murders was robbery. Cruz did not appear to have a job, neighbor say, and he was apparently a regular customer at a nearby pawn show, selling items to make money.

“One of the guys said that he come all the time and it's pretty crazy because I mentioned the news came out and he lives across the street from me, so he's like this guy comes in all the time,” said Gizelle Berlin Flores, who was in the pawn shop Thursday afternoon.

What really disturbed one neighbor, as she reflected on how Cruz and Ramos acted after the murders, is that they seemed unfazed.

“That's the shocking thing, no, they didn't act any different, they didn't talk any different, they were just as polite as possible,” said Morales, who added she was surprised that they stayed around.

No one at the home answered the door when FOX 32 knocked looking for information.

Cruz and Ramos are charged with six counts of first degree murder. Police say Ramos was in the house and was an accomplice. Cruz is the one police say committed the actual murders.