Joliet's Danny Rios Murder: 'He Just Said He Was Very Sorry, Something Bad Happened To My Brother'

JOLIET, IL — On Tuesday afternoon in Will County Courtroom 404 of Judge Vincent Cornelius, Assistant Will County State's Attorney Adam Capelli presented his first witness with a photograph and asked Julie Martinez, 50, if she recognized the face of Danny Rios III.

"My brother," she exclaimed. "He was working at Izzy's Bar in Joliet about maybe two years."

Martinez served as the first witness called by the Will County State's Attorney's Office prosecution team of Capelli, James Long and James Zanayed during this week's first-degree murder trial of Patrick Gleason. The Crest Hill man, now 63, was tackled inside Izzy's Bar on Theodore Street during the early morning hours of March 9, 2018. When Joliet police arrived at the chaotic shooting scene, bartender Danny Rios had been slain. The bar owner's son, Thomas Izquierdo, had suffered a gunshot to his abdomen, and prosecutors say Gleason also fired his loaded gun at customer Artis Henderson, but missed.

On the night of his murder, Danny Rios was not originally scheduled to work, according to his sister.

In fact, she and her brother initially made plans to meet up the following morning for breakfast, but he had to cancel the breakfast plans after he agreed to pick up another bartending shift that Thursday night, his last night alive.

Late that night, Martinez testified, her husband was notified that something bad had happened at Izzy's Bar, but she did not know the specifics — other than it involved her brother.

According to a friend of the family, "he just said he was very sorry, something bad happened to my brother," Martinez told the jury.

Not knowing what happened, the family first drove to Silver Cross Hospital, only to find out that Danny Rios was not there. When they arrived at St. Joe's Hospital, they learned that someone was being treated for a gun-related wound. Meanwhile, on social media, people began posting "Rest in peace." She said the Will County coroner, back in 2018, was a neighbor of her sister, and he came over and informed the family that "my brother had passed away from a gunshot wound."

Capelli asked Martinez if she recalled the next time she saw her brother.

"It was in a coffin at the funeral home," she answered.

At the time of his murder, Danny Rios had two children, a son and a daughter, according to his grieving sister. He was one of his four siblings, and he was known in the Rios family as "Junior," because his father is also named Danny Rios.

Gleason Attends REO Speedwagon Concert At Rialto Before Murder

During Tuesday's opening arguments, prosecutor Zanayed told jurors that Gleason saw the REO Speedwagon concert in downtown Joliet at the Rialto Square Theatre. A woman accompanied him to the show, and afterward, he went to Izzy's Bar, a Joliet neighborhood bar.

While sitting at the bar, Gleason engaged in about 90 minutes of conversation with patrons as well as the bartender, "the man he would later murder," Zanayed said.

Gleason got into heated arguments with Rios and other people inside the bar after lighting up and smoking three cigarettes inside Izzy's Bar "despite being told not to do so," Zanayed revealed. Gleason became angry and furious upon being kicked out of Izzy's Bar.

"He got up, and he said he wanted to shoot the place up," the prosecutor told the jury.

After stumbling out of the bar, Gleason went back to his home just blocks away in Crest Hill. Gleason retrieved a mask to cover his face, the prosecutor said. He obtained his Smith & Wesson handgun and loaded it with live bullets "with murder on his mind," said Zanayed.

Less than 50 minutes after stumbling out of Izzy's Bar, prosecutors say Gleason drove himself back to Izzy's with his face concealed by the mask and his loaded gun in hand. According to Zanayed, Gleason opened the entrance door, but didn't walk inside, instead hiding off to the side, even though the bar's bell chime alerted Rios and the other patrons that a new customer had just entered their building.

"He just stood there, gun in his hand, and he waited," Zanayed explained.

In time, Gleason walked straight up to Rios, pointed the gun at his face and pulled the trigger, the prosecutor said.

"You will see the defendant murder Danny Rios," the prosecutor said, informing the courtroom that Izzy's Bar security cameras captured the slaying on video.

After Gleason fatally shot Rios, others in the bar rushed Gleason and fought to gain control of the gun as the defendant remained focus on trying to shoot other people inside the bar, according to Zanayed.

"It was chaos. They were fighting for their lives," Zanayed said.

Gleason is being defended by attorneys Jeff Tomczak and CJ Haney of The Tomczak Law Group.

Tomczak's opening argument implored the jury "to keep an open mind about context. Context is crucial in this case. Keep an open mind about the concept of provocation, especially with someone like Patrick who's never been in a courtroom before."

Tomczak also told the jury to consider that the Joliet police disregarded evidence and looked the other way. The Joliet murder trial is expected to last about a week.

Related:

• 7 Years Since Joliet Bartender Danny Rios' Murder
• Izzy's Murder Defendant Faces $10 Million Bail
• 'Hero' Sues Izzy's Murder Defendant Patrick Gleason
• Pat Gleason Drank 'Big Bottle Of Crown Royal' Before The Murder: JPD