Chicago police say a man arrested in St. Louis this week has been charged in a November robbery that left two men dead outside a Little Village jewelry shop. Authorities report the suspect was flown back to Chicago and now faces multiple felony counts, including two counts of first-degree murder. The killings in the 3800 block of West 26th Street stunned neighbors and pushed community leaders to put up rewards for information.
Muhammad Thomas, 35, is charged with nine felony counts, including two counts of first-degree murder, in the Nov. 8, 2025 robbery and shooting, according to Fox 32 Chicago. Police say the offender walked into a store on West 26th Street, displayed a firearm and took property, then got into an altercation with two men outside and opened fire. Thomas was arrested Feb. 24 in St. Louis and was extradited to Chicago to face the charges, the outlet reports.
What police say about the November shooting
Surveillance video released by authorities shows a masked man in a Blackhawks hoodie enter the shop, run out with merchandise, and then shoot the two men after they chased him, according to ABC7 Chicago. The Cook County Medical Examiner later identified the victims as 63-year-old Faustino Alamo Domínguez and his 25-year-old son, Luis Alamo, both of Berwyn. Police say the shooter fled southbound on Springfield Avenue in a white SUV.
Rewards and community reaction
The Jewelers’ Security Alliance released still images of suspects and is offering up to $10,000 for tips, and Cook County Crime Stoppers has also posted a $10,000 reward, the industry group and local outlets report. Community leaders in Little Village and store neighbors have held vigils and collected donations outside Joyeria Angelo's, where flowers and candles remain on the storefront, the Jewelers’ Security Alliance and the Chicago Sun-Times report.
Police link suspect to earlier attacks and what's next
The Chicago Police Department told investigators Thomas was linked to a July 28, 2023 shooting that seriously injured a 26-year-old man and to an armed robbery on July 16, 2024, according to the department's account cited by Fox 32 Chicago. Prosecutors have filed multiple warrants alongside the nine felony counts, and Thomas is due back in court this week for an initial hearing, police say.
Legal implications
Thomas faces first-degree murder charges in Cook County, a designation that, under Illinois law, carries a determinate prison term of 20 to 60 years, with extended terms and natural life possible in certain aggravated circumstances. Firearm enhancements can substantially increase the sentence, according to Illinois statutes. The case will move through arraignment and pretrial proceedings in Cook County court, where prosecutors must prove intent or felony-murder elements to secure a murder conviction. Detectives are asking anyone with information to contact Area Four detectives at 312-746-8252 or submit anonymous tips to CPDTIP.com, ABC7 Chicago reports; statutory sentencing details are outlined on the Illinois General Assembly site.
