Cachimba

Real Name: Gerardo Gonzalez
Aliases: Cachimba
Wanted For: Questioning in Hit-and-Run, Manslaughter
Missing Since: December 1990

Case[]

Details: Gerardo Gonzalez, also known as “Cachimba,” is wanted for questioning regarding the hit-and-run death of eleven-year-old Pedro Santiago, Jr. Pedro was born in the Logan Square section of Chicago, Illinois. Logan Square is a close-knit middle-class neighborhood. He knew the area like the back of his hand. It was a place where he always felt safe. He was a fifth grader who was popular with his peers. He was also a good student and a talented athlete. By the time he was eleven years old, he had already earned a black belt in karate.
On December 12, 1990, Pedro came straight home from school and called his mother, Edith, at work to fill her in on his plans for the afternoon. He asked her if he could go to his friend Eric’s house to show him the new toy he got. She agreed. He left his house just after 3pm. At that exact moment, two neighborhood teenagers were walking back from the corner market. As Pedro crossed the street, he was struck by a black Oldsmobile.
Both teenagers witnessed the incident. One of them, “John,” says he had never seen anything like that happen before, so when it happened, he could not believe it. As he started walking towards the car, he realized that it was real. He and his friend then started running towards the scene. As they checked on Pedro, the driver got out of his car. He started cursing and hitting the car’s roof. John believes that the driver was upset at himself for hitting Pedro.
Pedro tried to talk, but John’s friend told him not to waste his energy. John told his friend that he was going to call an ambulance. He also told his friend to make sure that the driver did not leave the scene. Seconds later, the driver jumped into his car and took off. While John was on the phone talking to a man from the fire station, he watched as the car drove past him.
Twelve minutes later, Pedro was on his way to the emergency room. The hospital chaplain called Edith immediately. She asked him what happened. He told her that it was an emergency and that her son was in the hospital. Pedro was unconscious and suffering from massive head injuries. His parents had only a few precious seconds to comfort him before he was taken into the operating room. They both gave him a kiss on the head.
Moments later, Pedro was taken into the operating room for surgery. His parents were told that it would take about two hours. They went into the waiting room and waited. Pedro hung on for ten agonizing days, but he never regained consciousness. He passed away on December 22, 1990, just a week before his twelfth birthday. He was buried on December 26, the day after Christmas. With his death, the hit-and-run incident escalated to a case of manslaughter.
Police put out an all-points bulletin for the car’s owner, a Cuban immigrant known on the streets as “Cachimba.” When police efforts to find him failed, Pedro’s father, Pedro Sr., began to nose around on his own. He went to several bars and other places in Chicago. He asked patrons and employees if they knew Cachimba. Several people said that they knew him but that he had left Chicago.
After asking dozens of people, Pedro Sr. got some luck with a man at a restaurant who knew Cachimba. He said that Cachimba had left the area around Christmas. The last time they saw each other, Cachimba asked him to lend him some money so he could move to New York. Pedro Sr. asked the man if Cachimba had said why he was moving. The man believed that Cachimba was in some trouble with the police. He gave Cachimba $100.
The man told Pedro Sr. that Cachimba might be in New York or Florida. He also told Pedro Sr. several other places where Cachimba might be. Pedro Sr. gave the police this information. Years have passed with no further leads. For the Santiago family, nothing will ever be the same. Edith says it feels like it happened just the other day. She says it is very hard to “let go.” She always thinks about the happy times they spent with Pedro and his smiling face. She misses him a lot.
Pedro Sr. says that he knows he will not get his son back, but he would still like to see Cachimba get caught and locked up. Gerardo “Cachimba” Gonzalez has not been charged with any crime. However, the police would like to question him. He is Cuban, stands 5’8” tall, and weighs around 160 pounds. He may be living in New York, Florida, Michigan, or Illinois.
Extra Notes:

This case first aired on the September 22, 1993 episode. It was followed by a roll call of hit-and-run cases, which included: Jacquelyn Tendall and Gail Jordan and Dawn Lamont.
There are no known photographs of "Cachimba."
"John" was interviewed in silhouette.
Pedro Santiago Sr passed away on March 8, 2024 at the age of 86, without ever seeing Cachimba getting caught, but Edith, and siblings are still waiting to gain some closure.

Results: Wanted
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