A former Chicago resident wanted for the
brutal sexual assault and murder of one woman and the beating and sexual
assault of a second woman has been added to the Federal Bureau of
Investigation’s (FBI) Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, announced Robert D.
Grant, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Chicago Office. Joining Mr. Grant
in making this announcement are Garry F. McCarthy, Superintendent of the
Chicago Police Department (CPD); Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart; and Cook
County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez.
Fidel Urbina, age 37, whose last known
address was in the 2100 block of South Fairfield, has been the subject of a
nationwide manhunt since 1999 after being charged in a criminal complaint filed
in U.S. District Court in Chicago with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution
following the aggravated criminal sexual assault of a Chicago woman.
In March 1998, Urbina was arrested by
the CPD and later charged with kidnapping, brutally beating, and raping a woman
in Chicago. Subsequent to his arrest, Urbina was released on bond pending his
trial in Cook County Circuit Court. While out on bond, Urbina was also
suspected of assaulting and bludgeoning to death 22-year-old Gabriella Torres.
Her body was found in the trunk of an automobile, which had been abandoned in
an alley in the 2300 block of West 50th Street in Chicago. The vehicle had been
set on fire and Torres’ body was badly burned. Urbina has since been charged
with this crime as well. Attempts to locate and apprehend Urbina by local
police were unsuccessful, as he had apparently fled the state.
On July 20, 1999, a federal arrest
warrant was issued for Urbina and on August 26, 2006, a provisional arrest
warrant was signed by a Mexican Federal Magistrate. Despite extensive
investigation, including the case being profiled nationally on “America’s Most
Wanted” and locally on “Chicago’s Most Wanted,” Urbina remains at large and his
whereabouts are unknown. As such, the FBI is renewing its request for
assistance from the public in locating and apprehending this wanted fugitive.
In making this announcement, Mr. Grant
noted the continued threat to the community that Urbina poses. Said Mr. Grant,
“Fidel Urbina is wanted for his alleged role in two brutal attacks directed
against innocent women. These crimes have demonstrated his violent nature and
the need to locate and apprehend Urbina before he can strike again. We are
hoping that the publicity associated with this case, along with the significant
reward being offered, will lead to his arrest.”
Urbina, who is a Mexican national, is
described as a Hispanic male, 37 years of age, 6’0” tall, having a medium
build, and weighing approximately 170 pounds. He has black hair, brown eyes,
and a severely pockmarked right cheek. He has been known to use numerous
aliases, including the names Lorenzo Maes, Fernando Ramos, and Fidel Urbina
Aquirre.
The search for Urbina is being
coordinated by the Chicago FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force (VCTF), which is
comprised of FBI special agents, detectives from the Chicago Police Department,
and Cook County Sheriff’s Police investigators.
Urbina is the 497th person to be placed
on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, which was established in 1950.
Urbina replaces Adam Christopher Mayes, who was wanted for the murder of a
woman and her daughter and the kidnapping of her two small children from their
home in Tennessee.
A reward of up to $100,000 is being
offered for information leading to the location and arrest of Urbina. Anyone
recognizing him or having any information as to his current whereabouts is
asked to call the Chicago FBI at (312) 421-6700 or the nearest law enforcement
agency.
Given the nature of the charges filed
against him, Urbina should be considered armed and dangerous.
Additional information about this case
and the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives program can be found online at
www.fbi.gov.
The public is reminded that a complaint
is not evidence of guilt and that all defendants in a criminal case are
presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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