Accused Killer Claims Cousin Shot Rival Gang Member

Eusevio Escota, 24 | Cook County Sheriff

An alleged gang member was charged in the murder of 21-year-old Dakota Smith who was found shot to death in alley last May.

Eusevio Escota, 24, of Chicago, appeared in bond court on charges of resisting arrest. His bail was also increased from $1 million to $1.5 million, for a first-degree murder charge.

According to the charges, police found Snapchat videos made by Smith taunting rival gang members saying he was in their neighborhood the evening of May 2. Police also said that Smith described being followed by a Chrysler 300 with chrome tires and several occupants.

Smith was later found with a gunshot wound to his right side around 9:13 p.m. in the 5300 block of South Hunt Avenue in Summit. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Prosecutors said police were able to obtain surveillance video from a private home of a Chrysler 300 with distinctive chrome wheel rims pulling up in front of the home. Escota was identified by police as the man getting out of the passenger side of the car. He, along with the driver, ran out of the camera’s view. Video captured the men running back to the car a few minutes later.

Police also recovered security video from a gas station in the area before the shooting. The Chrysler with the chrome rims pulled into the business and Escota was seen exiting the car from the passenger side, prosecutors said.

Escota was taken into custody around Dec. 1. According to police, Escota admitted to riding in the car with another man he identified as his cousin.

When the two saw Smith in the street, Escota and his cousin asked him if he was a Latin King. Smith began running and Escota and his cousin ran after him, prosecutors said.

Police said the men followed Smith in an alley. According to Escota, his cousin was the one who pulled the trigger.

Prosecutors said Escota served a concurrent sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections for drug and weapon conditions.

The assistant public defender told the judge that Escota is married and has a child. He attended PRIDE alternative school in Burbank, and works full-time as a construction worker.

His family could probably come up with $25,000 to $50,000 in bail, the attorney said.

“That’s not going to happen,” Cook County Judge Peter Felice said. “I’m raising bail to $1.5 million.”

Judge Felice set bail at $25,000 for the misdemeanor resisting arrest charge. Escota’s next hearing is Jan. 10.