By: Mark Fitzgerald Chicago police credited a bi-weekly feature in the Spanish-language daily Hoy for the arrest of two men last week in a murder that had gone unsolved for nearly two years.
Jorge G?mez and Misael Ju?rez, both age 19, were arrested for the September 2004 murder of Iv?n S?nchez as he sat in his parked car with his girlfriend. Police allege the two mistook S?nchez for a member of a rival gang.
Hoy featured the murder in March as part of the "Cr?menes sin resolver" ("Unsolved crimes") biweekly joint project between the Chicago edition of the Tribune Co. newspaper and Telemundo Chicago, a local Spanish-language television channel. The Chicago Police Department suggests a cold case for the series each month.
Detective Wilfredo Torres told the paper that soon after the feature ran, police received a call that gave them sufficient information to arrest the two suspects, who have been charged with first-degree murder.
"The collaboration between Hoy and Telemundo Chicago is having a real impact in our community," Alejandro Escalona, editor in chief of Hoy Chicago, told E&P Sunday. "Not only have we had the first case solved, but also the police have seen an increased number of calls with information on unsolved homicides -- even cases that have not been featured in 'Cr?menes sin resolver.'"
Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley officially recognized the role of the cold-case series in a proclamation issued Thursday. "This segment is a great example of how working (police and business) are working together to improve the quality of life for our citizens," the proclamation read in part.
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