Man fatally shot by Chicago police after off-duty officer finds alleged kidnapping victims

CHICAGO - Chicago police shot and killed a man on the Northwest Side after an off-duty officer encountered two kidnapping victims who escaped their captor Monday morning.

The kidnapping victims were handcuffed together and running down the street around 6:45 a.m. near the 6200 block of West Grand Avenue, Chicago Police Sgt. Cindy Guerra said at a news conference Monday morning at the scene of the shooting.

An off-duty officer, who was driving at the time, pulled over his car and spoke with the two — a man and a woman in their 40s.

"He learned that they had been kidnapped and were being held against their will," Guerra said.

The officer called for backup and uniformed police officers arrived a short time later, Guerra said.

The kidnapping victims, who were uninjured, told officers there was an offender in an apartment in the 6200 block of West Grand, Guerra said.

"The officers then proceeded to the apartment fearing there were additional victims and or possibly to locate the offender," she said.

"Once inside the apartment, an armed confrontation ensued with the offender, causing the officer to discharge his weapon and strike the offender," Guerra said.

One of the uniformed officers shot the man.

The two escaped while their captor was asleep, according to police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.

Guerra said police are not aware of any other kidnapping victims.

The shooting happened about 7 a.m. Neighbors said they heard four or five shots.

The suspected kidnapper, Luis Vasquez, 42, was taken to Illinois Masonic Hospital where he was later pronounced dead, police and the Cook County medical examiner's office said.

An autopsy Tuesday found he died of multiple gunshot wounds, according to the medical examiner's office. His death was ruled a homicide.

Vasquez's weapon was recovered at the scene, police said. He has a lengthy criminal arrest record, including convictions for disarming a police officer, attempted murder and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, according to Cook County court records.

"All the officers are fine," Guerra said.

The kidnapping victims were taken Sunday night from the west suburbs, Elgin police said in a statement. They were apparently kidnapped in a carjacking in the 100 block of North Porter Street in Elgin, police said.

The kidnapping did not appear to be random, and the victims and kidnapper knew each other, Elgin police said.

"They seem to be OK. They're shook up, but they seem to fine at this time," Guerra said of the kidnap victims.