A man has been charged in connection with the tragic deaths of his pregnant girlfriend and their newborn baby in Portage Park, Chicago.
Robert Pasco III, 42, was arrested on Tuesday and faces serious charges, including involuntary manslaughter of a family member, causing the death of a child, and three counts of child endangerment, according to Chicago police.
The incident happened early in the morning on January 16. Pasco’s girlfriend, Edith Castrejon, 35, was shot in the chest while they were in bed together at their home on West Newport Avenue around 4:50 a.m. Castrejon, who was five months pregnant, was rushed to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center. Doctors performed an emergency delivery, bringing her baby boy into the world at 5:48 a.m. Tragically, Castrejon did not survive her injuries and was pronounced dead at 6:24 a.m.
The baby, named Jesus Castrejon, was in critical condition. Doctors gave him only a 25% chance of survival. Despite efforts to save him, he passed away on January 23 at around 7 p.m.
Pasco told police that he and Castrejon had a gun under their pillow while they slept. He claimed that when Castrejon tried to move it, his hand was near the trigger, and the gun accidentally fired, hitting her in the chest. Officers found a handgun and a bullet at the scene.
At the time of the shooting, three other children were inside the home, including two little girls, ages 3 and 4, and a 7-year-old boy. Fortunately, none of them were harmed.
Pasco has a criminal history and was previously charged with illegally owning a gun as a convicted felon. He also faced a misdemeanor charge for not having a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card.
He is scheduled to appear in court for a detention hearing on Wednesday.
