Alleged ‘Gang Member’ with Down Syndrome Charged with 2 Murders
Nicholas ‘Smush’ Samudio, a 22-year-old member of Chicago’s Latin Kings gang who has been diagnosed with Down Syndrome, has been charged with two separate murders in the city. Samudio allegedly shot and killed 28-year-old Humberto Marin-Garcia in front of his pregnant wife following a road rage incident in Chicago’s Bridgeport section on February 16. He is also accused of fatally shooting 22-year-old Tomas Villa in the North Lawndale neighborhood after mistaking him for a rival gang member.
Samudio was arrested alongside his accomplice, 21-year-old Moses Maldonado, after Chicago police caught them driving a stolen Chrysler 300. He has reportedly been charged with felony murder, attempted murder, and aggravated discharge of a firearm. During his first court hearing, Samudio’s lawyer revealed his client’s Down Syndrome diagnosis and shared that Samudio previously worked as a furniture mover and for a demolition company. Online records reportedly show that Samudio has been arrested 17 times since turning 18.
He was also considered a person of interest in the 2020 murder case of Jean Carlo Cobian but was never formally charged during the investigation. Cobian was found dead with a gunshot wound to the back of his head near his parked car in the McKinley Park neighborhood. In the wake of Humberto Marin-Garcia’s death, his wife Mayra Solis’ cousin launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for covering funeral expenses and help his family with any other unexpected costs. The fundraiser raised over $10,700 before being closed for donations.
According to authorities, Samudio killed Humberto Marin-Garcia around 9:30 pm local time after a road rage incident in the Bridgeport section of Chicago. Police said Garcia’s gray SUV came to a stop on the expressway after the driver’s side window of his car was shot at. Ten days after the first incident, Samudio and Maldonado reportedly confused Tomas Villa with a rival gang member due to his hat. Maldonado opened fire at Villa, who took cover between two vehicles, but Samudio got out of his car and shot the victim multiple times, leaving him dead on the scene.
Officials caught Samudio and Maldonado following a police chase later that night. The pair attempted to flee, prompting authorities to use a stun gun. Samudio was also accused of throwing an item from the car. Investigators recovered a .380 caliber weapon from their vehicle and found gunshot residue on Samudio’s red Champion hoodie. The shell casings found at the scene of Villa’s murder reportedly matched the weapon. Nicholas ‘Smush’ Samudio and Moses Maldonado are currently being held without bail at Cook County Jail.
In the latter incident, detectives suggested that the murder may have been a case of mistaken identity, a frequent problem for street gangs. Samudio’s public defender told the court that the accused triggerman has been diagnosed with Down Syndrome, a genetic disorder. He was indicted last week on two murder counts. Police say Samudio is well known to them and is a suspect in several other murders, including a 2020 gang murder in the city’s McKinley Park, but was never charged. In the Marin-Garcia slaying, detectives said Samudio exploded in a fit of road rage and shot the other driver in front of his pregnant wife. The second murder was described as “bold and brazen” and a case of mistaken identity due to the victim’s baseball cap.
