As Chicago mourns the loss of Police Officer Luis Huesca, investigators are winding their way through a web of suspects and arrests connected to the tragic slaying. Steps taken by the Great Lakes Regional Task Force led to an arrest Friday on the city’s South Side. Caschaus Tate, 20, was apprehended after allegedly ditching a firearm as the officers arrived to gather intelligence at his home on South Hale Street, a Chicago Sun-Times report details.
The Task Force had initially come to speak to a woman about Huesca’s death when Caschaus Tate, who is related to the main suspect, Xavier Tate Jr., reportedly stopped officers at the door with the feigned excuse that his girlfriend was naked inside. A subsequent scene unfolded as Tate entered his bedroom, fled out a back door, and was witnessed to have thrown a Glock 9mm pistol over a fence, as noted in a police report. The attempted concealment wasn’t successful; Caschaus Tate was charged with unlawful use of a weapon, although it's yet unclear if the discarded weapon was connected to Huesca's murder.
The arrest of Caschaus Tate is the latest in the investigation following the fatal shooting of Huesca on April 20. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the officer's weapon was missing when his body was found, but has since been recovered, Police Supt. Larry Snelling revealed during Huesca’s funeral.
Meanwhile, as reported by ABC-7 Chicago, Caschaus Tate is now facing further judicial scrutiny as a hearing will be held to evaluate if his bail in a prior burglary case should be revoked due to this new charge. His court appearance is to be set for Tuesday morning. On the other hand, investigators are inexorably pushing to bring Xavier Tate Jr., the primary suspect in Huesca’s murder, to justice, offering a hefty $100,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.
Efforts to find Tate Jr. have been intensified, with the FBI releasing detailed descriptions of his appearance, including distinct tattoos. The suspect is known to frequent multiple Illinois localities, such as Aurora, Olympia Fields, and Decatur, using possibly the nickname "Zay." A precise CCTV video compilation is part of the police's plea for public assistance, capturing Tate Jr.'s movements prior to and following the murder, aiming to keep him from evading the long arm of the law.
