Search for homicide suspect and beginning homicide investigation in Rolling Meadows near the border with Arlington Heights along Wilke Road.
Male suspect, Brian Guillen, age 20, from Rolling Meadows was charged with first-degree murder this week following a shooting death near his home early Sunday morning. The shooting death allegedly involved a romantic triangle and a $20 marijuana sale.
Rolling Meadows police officers responded just after 5:00 a.m. Sunday May 3, 2020 to a report of ‘shots fired’ in the block of 2000 Kirchoff Road, and discovered Marco Antonio Guerrero-Lopez, 39, of Palatine, with a gunshot wound to the abdomen about 5:07 a.m. The crime scene was located on a north side parkway along Kirchoff Road, just west of Wilke Road near the border of Rolling Meadows with Arlington Heights.
Marco Antonio Guerrero-Lopez was transported with CPR and Advanced Life Support to the nearest hospital — Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights less than one-half mile away — in traumatic cardiac arrest. Marco Antonio Guerrero-Lopez was pronounced dead at 5:35 a.m.
Suspect Brian Guillen was on parole for armed robbery when he allegedly shot Marco Antonio Guerrero-Lopez.
Police say that before the shooting, the victim Marco Antonio Guerrero-Lopez drove his 19-year-old niece, whom prosecutors identified as Witness #1, and her 21-year-old female friend, identified as Witness #2, to a home in the block of 300 South Wilke Road about 4:15 a.m. Sunday. The plan was to purchase marijuana at the house, which is located just north of Gateway Park at the northwest corner of Wilke Road and Kirchoff Road.
Witness #2 had arranged to purchase marijuana from Brian Guillien, according to Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney C.J. Orrantia. Witness #2 and Brian Guillen attended the same high school.
When the women and Guerrero-Lopez pulled up to Guillen’s home, Witness #2 sent a Facebook message announcing their arrival to Guillen’s girlfriend (Witness #3).
Brian Guillen approached the car to exchange the marijuana for $20, the transaction was completed, and the trio drove away.
Moments later, Guillen’s girlfriend texted Witness #2 indicating she knew the woman (Witness #2) and Guillen had a sexual relationship, Orrantia said. The women agreed to have a fight and all the parties, including the victim, met about 5:00 a.m. in the vicinity of Kirchoff Road and Dove Street, according to C.J. Orrantia. The intersection is located just west of Gateway Park.
Guillen was next to his girlfriend and across from Guerrero-Lopez, when he said “words to the effect of ‘No jumping in,'” Orrantia said.
As Guillen’s girlfriend punched Witness #2 in the face, Guerrero-Lopez took a step toward the women, according to prosecutor C.J. Orrantia. Then Guillen said “who the (expletive) is this?” and shot Guerrero-Lopez in the stomach.
Guillen and his girlfriend fled to his nearby home while Witness #2 called police.
Police from Rolling Meadows responded immediately, and police from Arlington Heights, Palatine, and Inverness responded to assist Rolling Meadows police once a shooting was confirmed. Arlington Heights Police Department arrived with a K-9 unit, and immediately began a search for the suspect with other police officers at their side.
About an hour later, police officers found Guillen and his girlfriend hiding in a hot tub in the backyard of the house, according to C.J. Orrantia. Police, who had earlier recovered a .380 caliber cartridge from the crime scene near the north side of the intersection of Kirchoff Road and Dove Street, found a .380 caliber handgun under a piece of wood in the backyard about 40 feet from the hot tub, according to Orrantia.
Guillen’s criminal history includes an attempted armed robbery in 2017 in Kane County, and drug possession and criminal damage to property convictions in Kane County.
Brian Guillen was ordered held without bond by a Cook County judge, and is scheduled to appear in Cook County Court on May 20. Guillen, who was located at Sheridan Correctional Center, was paroled on January 7, 2020, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Suspect placed in custody at house on Wilke Road north of Kirchoff Road in Rolling Meadows as police begin homicide investigation.
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