LOGAN SQUARE — A man charged with murder after a Logan Square shooting last month was physically attacking a woman he was with, then gunned down a good Samaritan who tried to help her, prosecutors said Thursday.
Jesus Garcia, 22, has been charged with first-degree murder. Prosecutors said he fatally shot 26-year-old Michael Bankston Sept. 17 in the 2600 block of North Milwaukee Avenue. A Cook County judge ordered Garcia held without bail Thursday.
The night of the shooting, Garcia was arguing with the woman he was dating, following, yelling and grabbing her, prosecutors said during a hearing Thursday. The woman kept trying to walk away, and Garcia picked her up and carried her for a short distance toward the apartment they shared, prosecutors said.
As Garcia and the woman were walking down Milwaukee Avenue, Bankston had just parked his car and was crossing the street, prosecutors said. Bankston saw Garcia grab the woman by her shoulders and her neck and ran over to ask if she was OK, prosecutors said.
Garcia started arguing with Bankston, pulled out a gun and shot him, prosecutors said.
Garcia fired several more times as Bankston tried to run away, shooting Bankston multiple times and killing him, prosecutors said. Bankston was unarmed and never threatened Garcia, prosecutors said.
Garcia was identified by several witnesses and by multiple videos that, despite the low quality, showed Garcia’s face and some of his tattoos, prosecutors said.
After Garcia was arrested, he told police he shot Bankston “one or two times” because he was afraid Bankston would do something to him, prosecutors said. Garcia also said he ran home after the shooting, disassembled the gun, threw it away and fell asleep, prosecutors said.
Assistant public defender Felicia Weiss told the court Garcia is unemployed and suffers from mental health issues. The judge denied Garcia bail, saying he poses a threat to the community and the woman he allegedly assaulted.
Garcia’s next court hearing is scheduled for Nov. 17.