Antonio Reyes is accused of being a cold-blooded killer who terrorized Chicago’s Southwest Side, leaving a trail of tragedy and heartbreak. But his alleged killing spree wasn’t just random — some of his own friends became his victims.
Reyes, now 20, is suspected of committing six murders over just nine months when he was only 16 and 17 years old. The killings happened in neighborhoods like Gage Park, Brighton Park, and Clearing. Authorities say his victims ranged from total strangers to people who knew him personally. Among them was Damian Duran, a 16-year-old who Reyes had been hanging out with in the weeks leading up to his death.
Damian’s mother, Marlen Rangel, remembers meeting Reyes and immediately getting a bad feeling about him. She recalled confronting him when he came to pick up her son one day, demanding to know who he was and writing down his license plate number. But her fears became a horrifying reality on May 1, 2020, when police knocked on her door asking about Damian’s identifying tattoos. Hours later, she learned her son had been found shot dead in an alley.
In the aftermath, Rangel exchanged text messages with Reyes, desperately asking where Damian was. Reyes claimed he’d dropped him off on 55th Street — but when Rangel told him police said her son was dead, Reyes sent a final, chilling message: “That’s why your son is going to rot in hell.”
Authorities say Damian’s murder was just one of several brutal killings Reyes committed. The first was Francisco Magana in March 2020. Witnesses say two shooters fired at Magana, and after he fell, one of them stood over him and kept shooting. Reyes is the only one charged in that murder.
A month later, on April 5, Reyes allegedly gunned down Claudio Cossio, a 20-year-old UPS driver, as he waited for a friend to play basketball. Then came Damian’s murder in May.
Reyes struck again in June, police say, killing Luis Davalos Garcia as he waited in his car for his girlfriend. The motive? Prosecutors say Reyes was upset over a breakup and decided to take his anger out on a random victim.
In November 2020, Reyes allegedly killed twice more, shooting Jose Martinez as he was taking his three children to pick up a puppy and then killing Justin Gonzales the very next day while Gonzales waited in his car for his girlfriend.
But Reyes’ alleged violence didn’t stop even after he was locked up. While in juvenile detention, he reportedly ordered a hit on a friend who was going to testify against him. That friend, Sebastian Serrano, was lured out of his house and shot to death by two other associates of Reyes, who later pleaded guilty to the crime.
Reyes’ circle of violence extended even further when another friend, Steven Montano, allegedly shot and killed Chicago police officer Andres Vasquez Lasso in 2023. Reports say Montano was dating Reyes’ mother and shot the officer after an argument at her house turned deadly.
Reyes has been charged with six counts of first-degree murder and other related charges. If convicted, he could face life in prison. After years of fear and waiting, families of the victims are finally hoping for justice.
