Family shares memories at hearings for accused killers
Two defendants appeared at Bridgeview Courthouse last week, facing separate charges related to the May murder of Arturo Cantu Jr., who was shot to death outside his Bridgeview apartment by his girlfriend’s secret lover.
Anthony Calderon, charged with first-degree murder, remains in custody after a judge on Thursday denied his release request.
Cantu’s live-in girlfriend of six years, Agnieszka Rydzewski, stands accused of soliciting the murder and awaits trial as well.
Despite facing different charges, the two are linked by a secret relationship and a common accusation, making each court hearing an emotional event for the victim’s grieving family.
On Wednesday, Agnieszka Rydzewski appeared at the Bridgeview Courthouse for a status hearing regarding her charge of solicitation to commit murder.
Rydzewski, 34, is accused of orchestrating the killing of Cantu, with whom she had been in a relationship for six years. Evidence presented by the prosecution alleges that Rydzewski maintained a secret relationship with the co-defendant, Anthony Calderon, who is accused of shooting Cantu on May 15 outside the West 79th Street apartment he shared with Rydzewski.
During the Wednesday hearing, Rydzewski’s defense team emphasized that they were still waiting for additional discovery materials, including interviews, surveillance footage, police body camera recordings, and grand jury transcripts.
Rydzewski was escorted from the courtroom in handcuffs, her expression blank as Cantu’s family watched silently.
The judge acknowledged the request and set Rydzewski’s next status hearing for December 11 at 9:30 a.m. in Room 101.
The following day, Calderon, 20, appeared in court for a separate hearing on his first-degree murder charge. Calderon, accused of fatally shooting Cantu Jr. on May 15, stood in front of the judge wearing a white shirt beneath a tan Department of Corrections coverall. His black beard was neatly trimmed, and his hair was shorter than during his last status hearing in August.
During the proceedings, public defender Kenneth Jenkins argued for Calderon’s release with electronic monitoring, insisting that Calderon posed no flight risk. However, County Circuit Court Associate Judge Margaret M. Ogarek denied the motion, citing the severity of the charges and potential danger to the public. Calderon was ordered to remain in Cook County jail until his next hearing, scheduled for December 10 at 9:30 a.m. in Room 101.
Diana Pacheco, Cantu’s mother, expressed relief after Calderon’s hearing.
“All the times that I come here, that’s my biggest fear,” she said, referring to the possibility of Calderon’s release.
The Pacheco family has been present at every hearing, balancing their grief with vivid memories of Arturo’s warmth and humor.
In between last week’s court hearings, the family of Arturo Cantu Jr. relived the pain of his death while sharing poignant memories of his humor and warmth.
One of the hardest things has been going to the courthouse every month or two.
“It brings everything back, just as you are trying to move on. I’m trying to watch a program on TV or trying to listen to music and, all of a sudden, think ‘Tomorrow, we have to go to court’,” he said.
“It’s like a wound that doesn’t heal,” Jose said. His wife nodded.
“There’s a lot of depression,” Diana Pacheco said. “I don’t sleep.”
Pacheco told a reporter he tries to focus on happy memories, like giving his late step-son rides on his Harley Davidson motorcycle
“They were small. I took them for rides on the motorcycle, and they loved it. They used to make fun of my boots. They called them my ‘Terminator boots,’ from the movie,” said Pacheco, 51. “He was a joker. He was always joking,” Pacheco said of Cantu Jr., his stepson.
“I still have those boots they used to make fun of. The Terminator boots. I told Frankie, ‘Can you believe it? I still have them,’” Jose Pacheco said.
Pacheco shared another memory of the family frequently dining at Old Country Buffet at Ford City Shopping Center.
“You go for seconds, thirds. These kids, they ate a lot,” he said. Arturo, known by the nickname Hockie, might have had one too many helpings one day.
“One time we all ate, and Hockie went to the washroom because he was so full. He came out and said, ‘Man, Mom, I hope nobody goes in there for at least 45 minutes.’ We were all laughing,” Pacheco recalled.
“That goes to show you how funny Hockie was,” he said, blinking back tears. “I’m getting emotional now.”
In an emotional moment, Cantu’s sister, Carolina, pulled back her jacket sleeve to reveal a large “Hockie” tattoo on her right forearm.
“I was his little sister,” she said.
Jose Pacheco said his family is already bracing for the next set of hearings in December, two weeks before their first Christmas without Cantu.
“It’s not going to be a day we look forward to,” Jose Pacheco said.
But they’ll be there, Cantu’s mother, Diane Pacheco said.
“Whatever it takes,” she said.