Two Chicago men, and a 14-year-old boy related to them, have been charged with kidnapping and other offenses, while a 15-year-old, their alleged target, faces separate charges in a complicated case involving drugs and a botched burglary.
Trini Morado, 38, and his nephew, Steven Morado, 22, are scheduled to appear in bond court before a Cook County judge Tuesday morning. Each is charged with two counts of kidnapping and one count of attempted kidnapping, according to Riverside police.
Trini Morado is also charged with criminal damage to property. Steven Morado is also charged with aggravated battery with a dangerous weapon and criminal trespass to a residence.
A 14-year-old Riverside boy related to both men has also been charged with kidnapping. He was petitioned to Cook County juvenile authorities.
Initially thinking a home invasion was taking place in the 200 block of East Burlington, police arrived near the intersection of Delaplaine Road and East Burlington Street just before 11 p.m. Friday after receiving numerous 911 calls about people chasing one another with weapons.
Six Riverside police officers responded to the call and detained Trini Morado and Steven Morado, who were walking on the sidewalk, and a 15-year-old boy who was yelling at them.
The two men had hatched a plot to kidnap the 15-year-old, police said. The Morados, according to police, believed that on Thursday, the 15-year-old had burglarized an apartment above a business on East Burlington Street in downtown Riverside.
Taken in the burglary were two videogame systems and numerous video games and DVDs, police said. The apartment reportedly was rented by a relative of the Morados.
Hearing that the 15-year-old may have been involved, the Morados drove to the vicinity of Park Place and Lincoln Avenue on Friday night and flagged down a 19-year-old acquaintance who knew the 15-year-old.
Police said the Morados physically forced the 19-year-old into their car. They allegedly later used the 19-year-old to lure the 15-year-old out of his Burlington Street home by setting up a bogus drug deal.
Meanwhile, the Morados picked up their 14-year-old relative and reportedly asked him if he knew anyone who knew where the 15-year-old lived. The 14-year-old led them to a house in the first block of Longcommon Road, where he reportedly lured another 14-year-old boy out of the house.
The Morados then, according to police, forced that boy into the car so he could take them to the 15-year-old. Mission accomplished, the Morados dropped off their relative and the other 14-year-old at their homes before heading back to the 200 block of East Burlington.
Using their 19-year-old captive as bait, the Morados reportedly lured the 15-year-old to their car. Once his target was in the car, the elder Morado reportedly told the 15-year-old, “You robbed the wrong house.”
He put the car in reverse to drive away, but the 15-year-old jumped out and began running westbound down Burlington Street, followed by Steven Morado who was swinging a hammer, police said.
The 15-year-old doubled back to his home by following the railroad line and reached his driveway, where he was confronted again by the Morados. According to police, Steven Morado struck the 15-year-old with the hammer and then threw it at him.
The boy ducked and the hammer sailed through the kitchen window of the 15-year-old’s house. Steven Morado reportedly went into the house to retrieve the hammer and the two Chicago men began to leave the scene when police arrived.
The 19-year-old who had been kidnapped earlier used the chase to flee the scene, police said.
Police got permission to search the 15-year-old’s bedroom and reportedly found proceeds from the Feb. 25 burglary, 65 grams of cannabis, over 20 morphine tablets and packaging materials for drug sales.
The 15-year-old was sent to Riveredge Hospital, a psychiatric facility in Forest Park, while police and the Cook County State’s Attorney investigated the case. At 2 a.m. on Monday, the state’s attorney approved the charges against the Morados and against their 15-year-old victim, who was charged with burglary, manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance, felony possession of cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was petitioned to Cook County juvenile authorities.
