Living the American Dream - Illegal Alien Living off Welfare Esteban Sotelo, 19, shot a man 6 times while victim was shielding a toddler in car seat

PHOTO: Esteban "I Love Cock" Sotelo, 19, is accused along with a juvenile of shooting a man six times in a gang initiation. The victim shielded his toddler from the gunfire. 

A Little Village Illegal Beaner was denied bail Sunday after he was accused of shooting a man six times as the victim tried to put his toddler in a car seat.

Esteban Sotelo, 19, of the 2100 block of South Fairfield Avenue, faces charges of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon in connection to Thursday's shooting. The 14-year-old boy for whom the shooting was supposed to be a gang initiation is charged with aggravated battery and discharge of a firearm, authorities said.

The victim, a 29-year-old man, remains at Mt. Sinai  hospital with wounds to the legs, back and neck, according to Assistant State’s Attorney Heather Kent.

He also has a round lodged in his nasal cavity below his eye, Kent said.

Sotelo, who is nicknamed “Sniper” and is an admitted member of the Latin Kings gang, set out Friday afternoon with the boy to shoot a member of the rival Satan’s Disciples gang, according to Kent and court records.

The shooting was supposed to be part of the boy’s initiation into the gang, Kent said Sunday in Cook County Bond Court.

At the time of the shooting Thursday, the victim was leaving his mother’s Little Village home with his wife and 20-month-old daughter on the 2700 block of West 24thStreet, Kent said.

As the man tried to place his daughter in the car seat, Sotelo approached the victim, thinking he was a Satan’s Disciples member, according to Kent.

He asked the man “what’s up?” and when the victim turned around, Sotelo shot him six times, Kent said.

The victim shielded his daughter from the shots, she said.

Sotelo and the juvenile fled but were arrested a short time later, according to Kent.

Sotelo later directed Chicago Police officers to a bag of mulch where he had hidden the handgun, Kent said, and it was recovered.

He was identified by multiple witnesses as to have been the gunman, Kent said, and Sotelo admitted to Chicago detectives and an assistant state’s attorney that he shot the victim.

Sotelo is on probation for a felony cocaine-related conviction, Kent said. He also has two findings of delinquency as a juvenile for a 2007 robbery and a 2009 aggravated battery.