
Police announced Wednesday that a man has now been charged with the fatal shooting from last month in Woodstock.
Victor Romero-Palos, 36, of Woodstock, was charged with the murder of Cesar Rangel, 41, of Woodstock, according to the Woodstock Police Department.
Rangel was shot in a parking lot near East Calhoun Street and South Jefferson Street in Woodstock on June 16 at around 1:15 a.m..
He was transported to Centegra Hospital-Woodstock where he was pronounced dead.
Woodstock Police said that Romero-Palos was arrested on drug related charges around eight hours after Rangel was killed, Woodstock Police Deputy Chief Jeffrey Parsons said.
Romero-Palos was charged with drug-related felonies including delivery of a controlled substance, delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a park, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
He was being held at McHenry County Correctional facility on a $2 million bond for those drug charges when Woodstock Police charged him today, July 5, for the murder of Rangel.
Chief Jeffrey Parsons said that the drug charges were unrelated to the murder.
Romero-Palos’ bond was then increased by $5 million for a total $7 million bond after he was charged with the murder.
“After a thorough investigation by the Woodstock Police Department, the McHenry County Major Investigations Team and the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office, two counts of first-degree murder were approved and warrants obtained,” Parsons said in a statement.
Romero-Palos will appear in court on the murder charges Thursday and on the drug charges on Friday.