Police arrested and charged a West Side man with murder late Sunday in the shooting death of a grocery store manager last month.
Orlando Cintron, 32, of 1354 N. Kedzie Ave., was charged with first-degree murder and armed robbery in connection with the death of Miguel Santos on Oct. 8, said Grand Central Area Cmdr. Charles Roberts.
Santos, 43, was the manager of Jimenez Enterprises, 2140 N. Western Ave. He was carrying nearly $7,000 to a Jimenez store at 4204 W. North Ave. when he was accosted by a gunman outside the store’s back door, police said. After a brief struggle, he was shot.
Detectives obtained a description of the gunman from witnesses and then received tips that led them to Cintron, Roberts said. Cintron was identified in a lineup Sunday night and subsequently charged, Roberts said.
Police are investigating reports that the gunman in the shooting had an accomplice, Roberts said. Detectives are also looking at similar armed robberies to see if Cintron may be linked to them, Roberts said.
Santos immigrated to Chicago from Mexico, and began stocking shelves at Jimenez in 1977. After a series of promotions, he was named store manager in 1985. He married the store owner’s sister, Irma Jimenez, earlier this year.
Santos, who spoke fluent English, would often spend his days off helping Spanish-speaking co-workers deal with the complexities of living in the U.S. Sometimes he would help someone get a license, resolve a traffic problem in court, or help people get medical assistance, according to owner Jose Jimenez.
Six months ago, Jimenez said Santos attempted to fend off an assault in another robbery. He was shot at, but the robbers missed. According to Jimenez, Santos promised that if he was robbed again, he would surrender the money without a struggle.
Santos had three daughters and a son, age 9 to 17, from a previous marriage.
