Updated: Marcy Cruz Pleads Guilty To Attempted Murder for Brutal Bucktown Bat Attack

Evil Incarnate: Marcy Cruz

Update, October 22, 2013 - Bat-beating trial jurors hear defendant's jailhouse recordings - Suspect in Bucktown attack says in phone conversation he needed money for drugs, reports the Chicago Trib.

Update, July 10, 2013 - Three years ago, we called Marcy Cruz a "rabid dog." Yesterday, she pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder for her part in a brutal attack in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood on April 23, 2010.

Cruz, 28, is one of two people accused of the 2010 baseball bat attack in Bucktown, in the 1800 block of North Damen Avenue. Cruz pleaded guilty on Tuesday, July 9, 2013 and will testify against her co-defendant," reports ABC-7 Chicago.

The two counts of the attempted murder against Cruz are for part in the attack on Stacy Jurich, then 24, and Natasha McShane, then 23. 

The bat attack caused severe brain damage to McShane, and she returned to her homeland in Ireland for brain surgery. She was in Chicago to study urban planning. McShane still "cannot speak beyond mumbles and she cannot walk or take care of herself," said a friend quoted by DNAInfo.

Marcy Cruz (Cook County Sheriff’s office)

Cruz's sentence is a mere 11 years in prison for each count, and to add insult to injury  her sentences will be served consecutively. Cruz must serve at least 85 percent before being eligible for parole, reports ABC-7.

11 years is not nearly long enough in our opinion, but at least this dangerous b*tch will be off the streets for a decade or more. We can only hope that she gets the living hell beaten out of her while in prison, just badly enough that when she's released she will be in a vegetative condition. In an ideal world, her sentence would have been longer, but in a plea deal she agreed to testify against co-defendant and fellow scumbag  Heriberto Viramontes, 34.  Viramontes has felony convictions for burglary and possession of a stolen vehicle, and about 30 other arrests on his record, reports CBS-2 Chicago. His trial is scheduled for September 9, 2013.

Earlier report: "No Pity For Rabid Dog Marcy Cruz"

May 4, 2010 - Edwin Cruz wants you to pity a rabid dog. It's not the rabid dog's fault, you see, that it has rabies. The rabid dog is Edwin Cruz's daughter Marcy (photo, CPD mugshot), accused of being the accomplice in the savage and cold-blooded attack on two women in Chicago on April 23, 2010. Cruz says his daughter Marcy is mentally ill and was off her prescribed medication.

Rabid Dogs: Marcy Cruz and Heriberto Viramontes

Call us cold hearted, but we really don't give a damn. If fact, we think Marcy Cruz should be executed along with accomplice Heriberto Viramontes. Here's why:

Two women, Natasha McShane, 23 and Stacy Jurich, 24, were brutally beaten with a baseball bat Friday, April 23 at about 3:00 a.m. They were walking in the 1800 block of N. Damen Avenue. Both victims were struck in the head with a wooden bat. McShane is still in a medically-induced coma and in critical condition. She is a UIC grad student from Northern Ireland who came to Chicago four months. Stacy Jurich, 24 was released from the hospital last week. (Post Script, July 12, 2011: Natasha McShane was flown home to Ireland for more brain surgery.)

Two suspects were quickly arrested by Chicago Police: Heriberto Viramontes and Marcy Cruz, boyfriend and girlfriend. Viramontes, say the police, swung the bat into the skulls of the two young women. Marcy Cruz, it is said, stayed in their van smoking dope while her man Heriberto went hunting for purses. Chicago police say they were able to find the two by tracking cell phones and credit cards stolen from the victims. ABC7 Chicago reported that "A follow-up investigation also reportedly included surveillance video recorded as the credit cards were being used. Police said they found other items belonging to McShane and Jurich when they searched the suspect's homes. Officials said they also have the bat."

Irish Central reports that Assistant Cook County State's Attorney Erin Antonietti said, "Cruz pointed out the potential victims to Viramontes after he told her he needed 'quick money for drugs.' Cruz told police that she 'smoked a blunt' of marijuana before the attack took place." When Cruz spotted Natasha McShane and Stacy Jurich, she said to Heriberto Viramontes, "look at all those drunk assholes coming out of the bar." Police also said they tracked down the suspects after they used cell phones and credit cards stolen during the attack.

Now, Marcy's father wants us to pity her. Chicagoist notes that "the father of Marcy Cruz, the female half of the couple being held in the late-April bat beating of two women in Bucktown, has come to her defense, saying Cruz is mentally ill and was off her prescribed medication. Saying that his daughter is bipolar, Edwin Cruz put a lot of the blame on Heriberto Viramontes, the man accused of wielding the bats in the attack: 'This guy, well, he was a manipulator. He's good with ladies, he's got sweet talk, he's got green eyes, he's pretty boy.' Both Cruz and Viramontes have been charged with aggravated battery and armed robbery for the attacks. 'It's very sad. It hurts all of us,' said Edwin. '(But) I don't think she should be (incarcerated). … She's not all there in her mind.'" 

Cruz: One sick b*tch

Edwin Cruz wants us to believe, apparently, that all bi-polar people who stop taking their meds lurk in vans waiting for the right victims to pulverize and rob. Cruz claims his "mentally ill" daughter is really a sweet kid, and blames the bad boyfriend Viramontes. He seems in denial about the fact that his lovely daughter was hanging out with a vile scumbag, with an arrest as long as, well, a baseball bat.

According to NBC5 Chicago, "His rap sheet includes convictions for possession of a stolen motor vehicle, burglary and domestic battery, Cook County court records show. He also has a conviction for possession of a controlled substance, police said. His current stay in the jail is his 19th time in the facility."

Cruz the father claims that daughter Marcy did the bidding of Viramontes because he's "good with the ladies." Yeah, especially while he's swinging a baseball bat. Most "ladies," by the way, do not hang out and do the bidding of guys who behave as Viramontes allegedly did. Perhaps Daddy Cruz is unaware of the fact that his daughter is something of a looker herself, leaving open the possibility that Viramontes was actually the one acting under sexual influence. Is it not possible that Marcy Cruz was the "manipulator?"

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Papa Cruz says his daughter should not be behind bars because "she's not all there in her mind." Perhaps he's unaware of the fact that there are plenty of people who are "criminally insane." The fact that she might be crazy does not change the fact that she is a danger to other people.

Let's say you're walking down the street, and you're lucky enough to be carrying a gun. You turn a corner and find yourself confronted by a growling dog, foam oozing from its mouth, a crazed look in its eyes. You realize the dog is rabid, out of its mind. You back off and try to get away, but the dog starts running toward you.

You have a split-second decision to make. Do you (a) draw your gun and shoot the insane beast before it kills you or infects you with rabies, and perhaps other people too, or (b) show compassion and pity for the poor thing because you know it is not in control of its own actions due to the rabies.

The second choice, of course, might be fatal. You shoot the rabid dog, and you are not required to show remorse for having done so. It was self defense, and the dog no longer poses a threat to anybody else.

Marcy Cruz is an (allegedly) rabid dog who needs to be put down. To excuse her (allegedly) criminal behavior on the grounds of being off her bi-polar meds is to insult millions of law abiding bi-polar people who do not associate with criminal scum and then urge them to go crack skulls to bring back stolen booty.

Injustice Delivered: Pizza Hut Demotes Delivery Guy For Defending Himself

Dec. 30, 2012 - I don't usually go for boycotts, but Pizza Hut needs to be on the receiving end of one for this. Sam Swicegood, college student and pizza delivery man in Maryland, defended himself against attackers while delivering pizzas. His mistake: He used a "weapon." To show him their moral support and compassion, Pizza Hut demoted him.

The trouble began as Swicegood tried to deliver pizza. He said he was "sucker punched" and his glasses flew off his face. Dropping the pizzas, he swung a piece of a tent pole he had up his sleeve.

“It’s a little fiberglass [rod] I had up my sleeve not thinking I would actually have to use it but more or less having a little comfort up my sleeve,” recalled Sam. Swicegood faced five attackers and said those odds “is just not a good situation to be in.” The rod is part of a tent pole, he explained, and it might have saved him from being more seriously injured. Hat tip to Freedom Outpost.

Swicegood said he was attacked previously, "so before he got out of his car, he grabbed something to protect himself," reported Fox News Balitmore on Dec. 28. Fox News also said that one of Sam’s co-workers was held at gunpoint last month and robbed "in the same area Sam was attacked; luckily in Sam’s case police arrested 3 out of 5 of the individuals - all of which are juveniles."

Pizza Hut: Now crap in my eyes.

Pizza Hut's outrageous reaction to Swicegood protecting himself: They demoted him, making him a cook earning less money than as a driver. Why? Because he violated Pizza Hut's no-weapon policy that forbids drivers from being armed.

Comment:  Suppose, instead of the tent pole rod, Swicegood hit his attackers with a pizza box? Those boxes are stiff and have sharp corners. You could take an eye out with ont. Could a Pizza Hut box be considered a weapon? After all, any solid object could be used as a weapon. A ball point, for example, is not a "weapon" until it is intentionally plunged into somebody's throat. 

Sam Swicegood deserves to work for a better employer. Here's a link to his resume. Additionally, there is a Facebook group now called "Support Sam Swicegood," so please check it out, "Like" it and share it. And the next time you want to go out for pizza, forget about Pizza Hut. At the Facebook page, somebody wrote the following:

Keep the pressure on Pizza Hut to reverse their silly decision to demote someone for protecting their life while delivering their product. I am not saying they need to be armed, but if in the course of defending oneself they pick something up to use as a defensive instrument, they should not be demoted or fired.

Pizza Hut Corporate Office Headquarters
14841 Dallas Parkway 
Dallas TX 75254
Phone: 800-948-8488

Thief Uses Mind Control as "Conversational Hypnosis"

It seems to have worked for a robber in Europe recently, as reported by the BBC. According to the video below, you to can hypnotize people secretly - just by talking to them. Some call this "conversational hypnosis." That's an amazing power to have. How useful would that be in a business meeting, or when you're talking with your boss? "Boss," you say, "you really want to give me a big raise and my own corner office." Imagine that actually working. You can find out how to hypnotize people this way, too! Let's watch that video: The full BBC report (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7309947.stm) says: 'Hypnotist' thief hunted in Italy Police in Italy have issued footage of a man who is suspected of hypnotizing supermarket checkout staff to hand over money from their cash registers. In every case, the last thing staff reportedly remember is the thief leaning over and saying: "Look into my eyes", before finding the till empty. In the latest incident captured on CCTV, he targeted a bank at Ancona in northern Italy, then calmly walked out. A female bank clerk reportedly handed over nearly 800 euros ($1200). The cashier who was shown the video footage has no memory of the incident, according to Italian media, and only realised what had happened when she saw the money missing. CCTV from the bank showed her apparently being hypnotized by the man, according to the reports. Italian police believe the suspect could be of Indian or North African extraction. Learn how you can achieve the power of conversational hypnosis. Discover how you can learn the secret of how to control people's minds without them even knowing it. Make them obey cover commands during normal conversation! Click here to learn the secrets now! NOTICE: This is an advertisement. The poster of this blog post is an affiliate of the advertiser.

Video Leads to Arrest in Uptown Robbery of Senior Citizen

Chicago - Jan. 17, 2010 - The surveillance video shows a man limping as he hurries from an Uptown apartment building, seconds after attacking an 85-year-old man in an elevator. Three days later that same limp led to Dennis Dawson's arrest, Chicago police said Saturday. - Chicago Breaking News Click to Watch the Video Dawson was identified by security camera video that (allegedly) caught him in the act of beating up an 85-year old man, throwing him to the ground, then rifling through his pockets and robbing him on January 10. Dawson was arrested on January 14 and appeared in central bond court on Friday, January 15. Dawson's bond was set at $95,000. ALSO SEE: Caught on Tape: Punk Beats and Robs 85-Year-Old Man Leave a Comment * Conservative T-Shirts * Follow CNB on Twitter * RSS Feed

Uptown "Gang Riot" Was Actually Minor Shooting, Possible Robbery

The Sept. 1 "gang fight" that we wrote about recently, at W. Wilson and N. Broadway in Uptown, was actually not a gang fight, and certainly no riot. It was a minor shooting incident that might have been an attempted robbery. It only involved two or three people. One of them, a man whose foot was shot, was recently released from prison. This story has a lot of loose ends that still need to be tied up. Shot in the foot (Good guy? Or bad guy?) At 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 1, a man stepped out of the Wilson Broadway Currency Exchange‎, 4599 N. Broadway and became involved in a fight. During the brief scuffle, a shot rang out, and the man was left with a bullet wound to one of his feet. It is not certain whether the fight was an attempted robbery, or even if the gunshot victim was the "good guy" or the "bad guy" in the incident. It is unclear who was in posession of the gun at the outset of the altercation. This is according to several well-informed sources who spoke to Chicago News Bench on Friday, Sept. 4. Those sources, trusted highly, get their information directly from police personnel. There is speculation by the police, sources tell us, that the bullet to the foot may have been accidentally self-inflicted. As the man walked out of the currency exchange, we are told, another person approached him. The police showed up en masse, blocked the intersection, asked questions, looked around, and then "most of the police" drove north at high speed on Broadway after only a few minutes at the currency exchange. The only reason that "most of the police" at the shooting scene would have sped off northward, as far as we or our sources can figure, is that they were attempting to apprehend the other person - or, perhaps, persons - involved in the altercation. Sources tell us that there is some confusion as to whether the man whose foot was shot in the was actually the victim or the would-be robber. According to our two individual sources, the gunshot victim was allegedly released from prison only "a few weeks ago." In retrospect, it's easy to understand how people observing the situation might have mistaken it for a gang fight. The currency exchange corner, just steps north of Ald. Shiller's Ward Office, usually has a lot of pedestrian traffic. In the event of a shooting, it could be expected that a crowd might quickly form. Someone might scream. Yelling would be heard. The police scream in, sirens and lights on, blocking the intersection. For a passerby to assume that the event is just another of the several-monthly gang fights that Uptown has come to expect is understandable indeed. Chicago News Bench reported what the CAPS meeting attendee told us. In our never-ending search for fact and truth, however, we kept looking into the story. Something bothered us: If a big gang fight had really happened on Sept. 1st, we probably would have gotten word of it before Sept. 3. (At least, we would hope we would have.) We're glad we stayed on the story. It not only opens up a new story, the end of which we haven't yet heard, it also gave us the opportunity to set the record straight. We will continue to keep our ears to the ground. RELATED: Man shot in the foot in Uptown - chicagocontent Post Script How did a minor shooting incident get mistaken for a large gang fight? One reason: The large police response to the incident at the currency exchange. We are told that about 10 police cars blocked the intersection. Another reason: Some people down in Uptown seem to be so upset by having more than their fair share of gang battles that even a relatively small scuffle can generate reports and rumors of rumbles and riots. Another reason: Some local bloggers substitute hearsay via frantic comments from their readers for actual reporting. Rather than actually go to a crime scene or other news event themselves, those bloggers all too often rely on rumor, innuendo, conjecture, speculation, uninformed screeds and often-irrelevant ramblings for "information" about what is happening in their own backyard, of which they profess to have expert knowledge, which often leads to self-reinforcing misinformation. Such is the danger of using a comments section as your primary source of news. Cool Hats & Shirts for Cool Conservatives Leave a Comment... Chicago News Bench RSS Feed We're on Twitter...

Burglary and Robbery - What's the Difference?

A friend of mine and I were talking about home invasion last night. No, we weren't planning one, we were discussing a burglary that occurred in her neighborhood recently. She said nobody had been home when the house was broken into, and I said that it was therefore not a robbery. We were talking specifically about illegal entrance into somebody's home. She disagreed, saying that if somebody is home when burglars break in it's "home invasion." Okay, I said to her, suppose someone is miles away from home but somebody breaks into their house. Perhaps nobody is home, but their home is still being invaded. Every residential burglary and every residential robbery is a home invasion if the burglar/robber entered without the permission of the owner or the lessee (renter) of the invaded home, or from any other person lawfully in possession or control of the dwelling. But what about "robbery" and "burglary," both of which are types of home invasion? I will cite Illinois law, since that's where I live, but most part of the U.S. have similar laws. (Don't take this as legal advice; I am not an attorney and have never even played one on TV. Do your own research specific to the jurisdiction in which you live.) In Illinois, "robbery" is defined as follows (emphasis added): Robbery. (a) A person commits robbery when he or she takes property, except a motor vehicle covered by Section 18-3 or 18-4, from the person or presence of another by the use of force or by threatening the imminent use of force. (b) Sentence. Robbery is a Class 2 felony. However, if the victim is 60 years of age or over or is a physically handicapped person, or if the robbery is committed in a school or place of worship, robbery is a Class 1 felony. (Source: P.A. 91-360, eff. 7-29-99.) Last modified: April 4, 2006 Source: Illinois Criminal Code of 1961 - 720 ILCS 5, Section 18-1 Notice, in the definition of robbery, the key phrase "by the use of force or by threatening the imminent use of force." Suppose a burglar enters a residence without permission and finds the place unoccupied. Nobody home, nobody to threaten with the use of force, or on whom to use force. Notice, in the following definition of burglary, that there is no reference to the use of force or of threatening the use of force: In Illinois, "burglary" is defined as follows: Burglary. (a) A person commits burglary when without authority he knowingly enters or without authority remains within a building, housetrailer, watercraft, aircraft, motor vehicle as defined in the Illinois Vehicle Code, railroad car, or any part thereof, with intent to commit therein a felony or theft. This offense shall not include the offenses set out in Section 4-102 of the Illinois Vehicle Code. (b) Sentence. Burglary is a Class 2 felony. A burglary committed in a school or place of worship is a Class 1 felony. (Source: P.A. 91-360, eff. 7-29-99; 91-928, eff. 6-1-01.) Last modified: April 4, 2006 Source: Illinois Criminal Code of 1961 - 720 ILCS 5, Section 19-1 Also see: Residential Burglary, Illinois Criminal Code of 1961 - 720 ILCS 5, Section 19-3 So, if Mr. Bad Guy illegally enters a dwelling "with intent to commit therein a felony or theft," it is burglary. However, if Mr. Bad Guy enters the same dwelling and someone is there, such as the homeowner, lessee or even a guest of the same, that burglary suddenly becomes a robbery. One could argue that Mr. Bad Guy's presence alone would have the effect of "threatening the imminent use of force" even if it's only implied or reasonably inferred. Of course, a criminal attorney might argue otherwise. To repeat, I am not an attorney. If YOU are an attorney and you'd like to disagree with me or add something to this, please leave a comment. For more info, see the Illinois Criminal Code of 1961 at law.onecle.com. Not in Illinois? You'll find your state listed there too, in the left sidebar. Conservative Hats, T-Shirts and More Leave a Comment... Chicago News Bench RSS Feed We're on Twitter...

FLASH UPDATE: FBI, CPD Searching Marathon Gas Robber Accomplice

CHICAGO - 06 MAY 2009 - EXCLUSIVE / DEVELOPING... Chicago police and FBI agents are searching for the get-away driver for the robber who was killed by police this morning around 7:00 after they tried to rob a Marathon gas station near Montrose and Forest Preserve Drive. The situation this morning "started at a Marathon gas station just before 7 a.m. Wednesday morning at the intersection of Montrose and Forest Preserve Drive," according to ABC7 Chicago. "Authorities believe the suspect could be responsible for up to 30 hold-ups. Police say a man came into the Marathon gas station attempting to rob it when he was stopped by a Chicago detective who had been staking the place out. The suspect wore a green sweatshirt, jeans and a surgical mask." UPDATES BELOW... UPDATE 6:10 PM - Chicago police and FBI agents are searching for the buddy of the man police shot and killed this morning as he tried to rob a Marathon gas station at Montrose and Forest Preserve Drive. NOW, Chicago News Bench learned, "heavy armor" is in the Uptown neighborhood in a northwest neighborhood of Chicago, and it is was believed the man is was holed up on "the second floor" of a building. UPDATE 6:36 PM - The man was not in the building. Police and FBI continue the search. (We do not know at this time if the man actually left Uptown.) UPDATE 6:52 PM - Police went into the building, but did not find him there. UPDATE 6:53 PM - Around 11:15 a.m. today, the man was running on foot as police chased him through the Uptown neighborhood. He robbed elderly Asian woman in her tailor shop and got about $80.00 cash. She was not injured. The man had a knife with "a brown wood handle." CommieBama Hats and More Chicago News Bench RSS Feed Follow ChiNewsBench on Twitter

Uptown Quick Stop Robbed, 11:10 PM

The Uptown Quick Stop at 5000 N. Sheridan Road in Chicago was just robbed (at 11:10 p.m.) this evening (May 4). Police, on scanner, say suspect is a male black who fled on foot in an unknown direction. CommieBama Hats and More Chicago News Bench RSS Feed Follow ChiNewsBench on Twitter

UPDATE: DEVON BANK ROBBED THIS MORNING

UPDATED 10:50 AM DETAILS AS THEY CAME OVER POLICE SCANNER (reported as we heard it): BANK ROBBERY 9:45 AM TUES. 2/17/09 "DEVON BANK AT 6445 N. WESTERN AVENUE" ROBBED. "6445 N. Western"(address repeated several times) ("at Peterson") One victim "pushed from behind"; no injuries ROBBER: Male, "possibly Hispanic" but uncertain Maroon Hyundai minivan, 2009 model, rented from Hertz in Des Plaines, IL IL Plates: X650820 last seen eastbound on Arthur, as of 9:50 a.m. View Larger Map CNB RSS Feed

Businesses Leaving Rogers Park

Two businesses in Chicago's 49th Ward are closing their doors.

One is My Quiet Place, a Jamaican restaurant that just didn't get it. Crummy interior, no marketing to speak of, bad lighting, bad neighborhood. (See related story.) While we're sorry to see any business fail, we can't help but wonder why this one stayed open as long as it did.

Contrast My Quite Place to the successful Grill Inn‎ 1422 W Morse Avenue and Taqueria Los Portales‎ at 1418 W Morse, just down the street. They have cozy, welcoming interiors. My Quiet Place made the mistake that too many Third World restaurateurs make - they seem unaware that most Americans have a low tolerance for creepy restaurant decor.

Another business that is closing is Mega Dollar Day‎ at 7100 N. Clark Street. Not a failed business, they've simply had enough of the crime in Rogers Park. Or too much, actually.

The Bench broke the story that Mega Dollar Day was robbed not once but twice - within a single week recently. I spoke to the owners yesterday and he said that after 13 years on Clark Street, they've decided that "enough is enough." The business is for sale and they are planning to close in about two weeks.

Will we hear about these success stories from DevCorp North? Will DevCorp Empress Kimberly Bares stand in front of either business, on a soap box, and proclaim the virtues of doing business in Rogers Park? Will Alderman Joe Moore ever get over Mega Dollar Day and give personal best wishes to the owners? Don't hold your breath.

LISPING GUNMAN ROBS STORE TWICE THIS WEEK

EXCLUSIVE REPORT

April 4, 2008 - The Bench - An armed man with a lisp and a silver revolver robbed the same store twice this week in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood.

Mega Dollar Day Plus, 7100 N. Clark Street, was robbed at gunpoint this evening at 7:45 by a man described as black, six feet tall, husky, wearing a beige hoody and dark gray pants. One of his upper front teeth has a portion missing, which causes him to pronounce words with "S" in them with a lisp.

Dave is the owner of the store at N. Clark and W. Estes. At 8:15 p.m., he told The Bench that the same man robbed him at 6:30 p.m. on Monday of this week.

"Both times, he put the gun at my stomach, like this," Dave said, gesturing at his belly. "He told me, 'give me all your money.'" Dave has owned Mega Dollar Days Plus for 13 years, and has never been robbed before this week.

The store has no video system, but Dave says they are in the process of installing one. There is speculation that the robber lives in or near Rogers Park because he robbed the same place twice within one week. As of 9:45 p.m., The Bench has no report of anybody being arrested in this case. The robber fled on foot.