Authorities say the killings followed a jewelry store robbery caught on video.
CHICAGO, Illinois — A 35-year-old Chicago man accused of shooting a father and son to death outside their Little Village jewelry store after an armed robbery was arrested in St. Louis and is now facing murder and armed robbery charges in Cook County.
The suspect, Muhammad Thomas, is charged in the Nov. 8, 2025, killings of Faustino Alamo Dominguez, 63, and Luis Alamo, 25, authorities said. The case gained urgency after police released details about surveillance video that captured the suspect entering the store and fleeing with stolen merchandise before gunfire broke out on West 26th Street. Prosecutors have said the arrest in Missouri produced evidence they believe links Thomas to the shooting, while relatives of the victims have pushed for accountability and described the two men as central figures in the Little Village community.
Police said the robbery unfolded around 5:45 to 5:49 p.m. Nov. 8, 2025, in the 3800 block of West 26th Street, a corridor lined with small shops and heavy pedestrian traffic. Investigators said a masked man went into the family-owned jewelry store, displayed a gun and demanded property, then ran out with stolen items. In surveillance video described by prosecutors, the father and son chased the suspect from the storefront to the street within seconds. A struggle followed near the curb, and multiple rounds were fired as the suspect tried to get away. Both victims suffered gunshot wounds and later died after they were taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital, authorities said.
Prosecutors have emphasized the speed and intensity of the confrontation. They said more than 20 shots can be heard in the recording from the scene. Investigators also said there was an exchange of gunfire and that one of the victims used a legally licensed firearm to shoot back as the suspect fled. Prosecutors told the court that at least one juvenile was positioned inside a waiting vehicle and fired during the chaos, striking Alamo Dominguez. Authorities have not released the juveniles’ names because of their ages, and they have not said whether both will be charged in this case. Officials have described the juvenile involvement as part of a planned getaway.
According to prosecutors, Thomas had two juveniles waiting inside a white Maserati while he went into the store and tried to steal jewelry from display cases. After the shooting, police said the suspect fled southbound, and investigators later found the Maserati burned. Prosecutors said fingerprints tied to the vehicle helped connect the case back to Thomas. They also said one juvenile was arrested later in an unrelated matter and provided information that helped detectives identify Thomas as the person who went inside the store. The account has been central to prosecutors’ description of how the investigation moved from a widely shared surveillance video to an arrest months later.
Authorities said Thomas was taken into custody Feb. 24 in St. Louis and extradited back to Chicago. Prosecutors said he was scheduled to appear for a pretrial detention hearing but did not appear because he was hospitalized with a medication issue and narcotics withdrawal. Court officials said the judge could not hold the detention hearing without Thomas present. A hearing is expected March 3 at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse if he is well enough to be in court. The proceedings will determine whether he remains held while the case moves forward, a decision prosecutors have sought based on the violence alleged in the charging documents.
Prosecutors said investigators recovered two guns when Thomas was arrested in Missouri and that shell casings from those firearms matched casings collected after the Little Village shooting. They also said DNA and cell phone data place Thomas at the scene. Authorities have not publicly released lab reports, but prosecutors cited the forensic work in arguing that the evidence is not limited to video and witness accounts. Police also said Thomas faces nine felony counts overall, including two counts of first-degree murder, multiple armed robbery counts, aggravated battery charges, attempted vehicular hijacking and burglary. The mix of charges reflects both the robbery that preceded the killings and other alleged conduct tied to separate cases.
Those additional cases include allegations that Thomas shot and seriously injured a 26-year-old man on July 28, 2023, and carried out an armed robbery on July 16, 2024, authorities said. Prosecutors have referenced those accusations as part of a pattern of violence, while also noting that multiple warrants were active at the time he was located in St. Louis. Court records cited in local reporting describe a long criminal history dating back to his teenage years, including prior prison sentences. Defense attorneys have not publicly detailed how they will challenge the evidence described by prosecutors, and no trial date has been set.
The victims’ relatives have described the father and son as hardworking owners who were known along the commercial strip and who helped support family members and employees. The jewelry business has been identified in local coverage as Joyeria Angelos. In interviews after the arrest, relatives said they had spent months waiting for news and watching surveillance images spread across the community. Agustin Alamo, a nephew and cousin of the victims, said the family wanted justice and thanked neighbors for support as they grieved. The store’s location sits in a part of the neighborhood where merchants often rely on repeat customers, and the killings heightened fears among nearby businesses about armed robberies.
Investigators still have not answered every question about what was taken in the robbery, how the suspects selected the store, and the full role of the juveniles prosecutors say were involved. Authorities have also not said whether they are looking for any additional adult suspects beyond Thomas. The next steps center on court hearings, including the detention decision and later proceedings expected to focus on surveillance video, ballistic testing, phone records and DNA evidence. Prosecutors have said those records support their claim that Thomas was the armed robber who fled the store and opened fire during the chase.
Thomas remained in custody, with the next court hearing expected March 3 if he is medically cleared to appear, officials said.
Author note: Last updated March 1, 2026.