When Silverio Villegas Gonzalez failed to arrive on time for his morning shift at Tom & Jerry’s Gyros on Chicago’s northwest side, his manager knew something was wrong.
The 38-year-old short-order cook, known for his reliability, had never missed work without notice.
Hours earlier, Villegas Gonzalez had been fatally shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Franklin Park, Illinois, shortly after dropping off his two young sons at school and daycare.
The shooting marked the first death linked to a massive immigration sweep launched under U.S. President Donald Trump’s directive.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Villegas Gonzalez was a “criminal illegal alien” with a history of reckless driving and that he drove his car toward ICE agents, prompting one to fire in self-defense.
The agency pledged to conduct its own investigation once local authorities complete theirs. Both the FBI and Franklin Park police responded to the scene, though it remains unclear which agency is leading the probe.
Family members and colleagues described a very different man, a quiet, hardworking father who had built a modest life in the U.S. after leaving his small hometown of Irimbo, Michoacán, Mexico.
“He was so soft-spoken,” said Ashley Alekna, manager of the diner where he worked long hours to support his children. “Everyone liked him. He was dependable, kind, and proud of what he’d made of his life.”
Villegas Gonzalez had emigrated to the U.S. in 2007, following his older brother Jorge, as part of a wave of Mexican workers seeking safety and opportunity amid growing violence at home.
Over the years, he held restaurant jobs, part of an industry in which nearly one-third of cooks nationwide are foreign-born, according to the National Restaurant Association.
Though he had a few minor traffic violations, public records show no criminal history. After struggling with alcoholism that led to liver disease, he had been sober for more than a year.
“He wanted to live for his kids,” said Blanca Mora, his partner, who grew up with him in Mexico and later joined him in Franklin Park. Together, they were raising his two sons and her teenage daughter.
Mora recalled that Villegas Gonzalez loved family time, library visits, Lego building, and no phones at the dinner table. “When he closed his eyes at night,” she said, “he was thinking about the children.”
Surveillance footage from nearby businesses captured ICE agents pulling him over moments before the fatal shooting.
After agents approached his car, Villegas Gonzalez appeared to back up and attempt to drive away. Two gunshots were heard seconds later, and his vehicle crashed into a parked truck.
His brother Jorge received the news while driving a minibus in their hometown of Irimbo. “He was just trying to give his children a better life,” Jorge said.
Following the shooting, Mora said the couple’s two boys were placed in foster care as investigations continue. DHS has not indicated when its internal review will be completed.
Villegas Gonzalez’s death has sparked renewed debate over the human toll of federal immigration enforcement.
For his family, however, the focus remains on the man they lost, a devoted father, partner, and worker whose American dream ended in tragedy.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
