Crime & Safety

Police Chief Urges Calm After Neighborhood Murder

Victim's stolen car remains missing, police have "working theory" about what led to 41-year-old Oak Parker's death.

Thursday's community crime meeting, held by Oak Park's top cops, offered few updates about the investigation of last week's murder of a local husband and father. 

Instead, Police Chief Rick Tanksley spent much of the hour long meeting reassuring residents that investigators still believe victim Pedro Gurrola Jr. was targeted and his murder was not a random act.

"If I did think it was random incident, well now that provokes an immediate response from the police department, because [then] we'd have something else going on," he said. "But now we have to reassure our communities, the neighborhood and the community at large.

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"Murder has a certain impact on the community. It creates a certain level of   anxiety, and random murder creates an even higher level of anxiety," he said. "We do not believe this was a random incident. And I can go no further than that."

Gurrola, 41, was found dead Sept. 9 in the garage outside his home in the 800 block of South East Avenue. He was "bludgeoned about the head" as he left for work around 6:45 a.m., police said.

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A murder weapon has not been found.

Tanksley said several items were stolen from Gurrola at the time of the attack, but would not elaborate, citing the ongoing investigation.

Gurrola's car, a 1997 red or maroon Chevrolet Lumina, was also stolen from the garage. (A flier circulated by the police department is included next to the photo on the right side of this page.)

"We have not yet found that vehicle," Tanksley said.  "Were' hoping when we do find that vehicle, it's in any sort of shape to be examined."

Another car, a newer model SUV, was hauled away from the crime scene last week.

Thursday's meeting was held inside a packed community room at the where roughly 80 residents crammed into a small space to hear the police administration offer updates. 

And what started as a crowd of curious – if unsettled – residents turned into a community rally of sorts.

Robert Williams, 63, urged neighbors to stay alert amongst the "angst."

"There's usually signs [of wrongdoing,]" he said. "The reality is that it all begins with us."

Tanksley credited residents for "calling in anything and everything" that they see, and lauded the effort of his officers for their aggressive response, despite the department's "limited overtime budget."

"This is our number one priority," he said. "All of our resources are concentrated on these leads."


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