A judge sentenced Steven Montano to natural life in prison on Tuesday for the 2023 murder of Chicago Police Officer Andrés Vásquez Lasso.
The sentencing took place at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse, where a large crowd of police officers and supporters gathered to stand with the fallen officer’s family.
Montano was found guilty in July of first-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon.
The 2023 Shooting
Officer Vásquez Lasso was killed on March 1, 2023, while responding to a domestic disturbance call.
As he chased Montano, the defendant fired several shots. Three of those shots hit the officer, fatally wounding him.
During the hearing, prosecutors described Montano as “utterly remorseless.”
Although Montano briefly asked the family for forgiveness, claiming he did not intend to hurt the officer, the judge issued the maximum sentence of life in prison.
Emotional Courtroom Statements
The officer’s mother, Rocio Lasso, spoke to the court through an interpreter.
“My son did not deserve to die in this manner,” she told the judge. “I ask for justice for the murder of my son.”
Fellow officers also attended to show solidarity.
Among them was Carlos Yañez Jr., an officer who survived the 2021 shooting that killed his partner, Ella French.
Yañez spoke about the deep hole Vásquez Lasso’s death left in his family, noting that the officer was a father figure to his young niece.
Accountability and Parole
While the judge handed down a life sentence, Illinois law regarding youthful offenders applies to this case.
Because Montano was under the age of 21 at the time of the crime, he will be eligible to apply for parole in 40 years.
The Chicago Police Department released a statement following the hearing, calling the sentence an “important step in accountability” and urging the city to remember the courage Vásquez Lasso showed in his final moments.
