Prosecutors say guns seized in St. Louis matched shell casings from the Chicago shooting.
CHICAGO, Illinois — A Chicago man accused of killing a father and son outside their Little Village jewelry store after a robbery was arrested in St. Louis and returned to Chicago, where prosecutors say ballistic and forensic evidence ties him to the Nov. 8, 2025, shootings.
Investigators say 35-year-old Muhammad Thomas faces two counts of first-degree murder and multiple robbery-related charges after the deadly confrontation outside a family-run store on West 26th Street. The case drew attention in Little Village because the shooting happened in the open, was captured on surveillance video, and left two well-known business owners dead. Authorities say Thomas also is charged in separate violent incidents from 2023 and 2024, and a judge is expected to address whether he will be held before trial once he is medically cleared to appear in court.
Police and prosecutors say the robbery began shortly before 6 p.m. on Nov. 8, 2025, in the 3800 block of West 26th Street, a busy commercial strip in the city’s Little Village neighborhood. Surveillance video described in court filings shows a man entering the jewelry store and then leaving quickly with stolen items. About half a minute later, investigators said, the store’s owners ran after the suspect as he moved toward a vehicle waiting outside. The pursuit spilled into the street, where gunfire erupted in a matter of seconds. Prosecutors said Faustino Alamo Dominguez, 63, and his son, Luis Alamo, 25, were struck multiple times and later died at Mt. Sinai Hospital.
According to prosecutors, Thomas did not act alone. They said two juveniles were waiting for him inside a white Maserati as he went into the store and tried to steal jewelry from display cases. During the chase, prosecutors said, there was an exchange of gunfire and more than 20 shots can be heard on the video. Officials said one of the victims had a legally licensed gun and fired back, and a juvenile inside the car also fired shots that struck Alamo Dominguez. The Maserati was later found burned, authorities said, but investigators reported recovering evidence that allowed them to link the vehicle to the robbery and shooting. The juvenile who authorities say fired from the car was later arrested in another case and provided information that helped detectives identify Thomas, prosecutors told the court.
Thomas was arrested Feb. 24 at a hotel in St. Louis after investigators tracked him out of state, authorities said. He was extradited to Chicago, but he did not appear at a scheduled detention hearing because he was hospitalized for medical issues and narcotics withdrawal, prosecutors said. Under Illinois law, a judge cannot hold the detention hearing without the defendant present. Court officials said the next hearing is expected March 3 at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse if Thomas is released from the hospital and able to attend. In an interview included in local coverage, family member Agustin Alamo said the arrests brought relief after months of uncertainty, adding that his relatives were “pillars of the community” and that the family wants the case to move forward.
Prosecutors laid out several pieces of evidence they say connect Thomas to the crime scene. They said two guns were found when he was arrested in St. Louis, and shell casings from those firearms matched casings recovered after the Little Village shooting. Prosecutors also said DNA and cell phone data placed Thomas at the location at the time of the robbery and shootings. Authorities said they were able to match fingerprints connected to the burned getaway car back to Thomas as well. Police have not publicly detailed what jewelry or other property was taken, but charging documents describe the incident as an armed robbery in which the suspect displayed a firearm and demanded valuables before leaving the store.
Thomas is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and a slate of additional felonies tied to robbery and violence, including armed robbery counts and aggravated battery charges, according to police and prosecutors. Authorities also say he faces charges tied to two other incidents: the shooting and serious injury of a 26-year-old man in the West Loop on July 28, 2023, and an armed robbery in Little Village on July 16, 2024. Chicago police have described the cases as separate, but prosecutors have pointed to them in court as part of Thomas’ criminal history and as a reason he should remain detained while the murder case proceeds. Defense attorneys have not publicly outlined a response to the evidence described by prosecutors.
The killings shook a neighborhood where family businesses often serve as community anchors and where store owners can be recognized by regular customers. Little Village, known for its restaurants and retail storefronts along 26th Street, has dealt with repeated concerns about armed robberies targeting small businesses. In this case, the victims were identified by police as a father and son who worked together and were trying to protect their store when the suspect fled. The store has been identified in local coverage as Joyeria Angelos. Residents and customers have left flowers and messages outside the storefront in the months since the shooting, and relatives have said the loss rippled beyond their family to employees, neighbors and longtime patrons.
Investigators are still working through the case’s remaining questions, including the full role of the juveniles prosecutors said were involved and whether additional suspects will be charged in connection with the robbery. Prosecutors have said at least one juvenile was arrested in another case before providing information about Thomas, and they have described a second juvenile as waiting inside the getaway vehicle. Authorities have not released the juveniles’ names because of their ages. Police also have not publicly detailed how long Thomas was believed to be in Missouri before his arrest, though prosecutors said officers and federal partners tracked him and arrested him at a hotel.
For now, the case turns on upcoming court dates. Prosecutors are seeking to keep Thomas detained while the case moves toward trial, and the court is expected to address detention once he appears in person. Additional proceedings will likely include a bond-related hearing under the state’s pretrial rules, the exchange of evidence between prosecutors and the defense, and later hearings on surveillance video, ballistic reports and forensic testing. If prosecutors pursue separate cases tied to the 2023 shooting and the 2024 armed robbery, those matters could proceed on their own schedules in addition to the murder case. Authorities have not announced a trial date.
Thomas remained in custody as of early March, with a court appearance expected March 3 if he is released from the hospital, officials said.
Author note: Last updated March 1, 2026.