Teenager who allegedly brutally murdered his girlfriend's ex a year ago has finally been charged — and he may have murdered someone else in the meantime

A teenager who supposedly shot his girlfriend's ex on video and in front of several witnesses a year ago has finally been charged with murder — after he allegedly murdered someone else.

On November 7, 2021, Adrian Soto, now 19, accompanied his girlfriend to the parking lot of a neighborhood grocery store in southwestern Chicago where she had arranged to meet her ex-boyfriend so that she could pick up the children she shared with him.

Her ex, a 22-year-old man named Nicholas John Narolewski, arrived at the parking lot with their two children and his mother. Soto's girlfriend got out of her vehicle and retrieved the children from Narolewski's car and returned to her vehicle. Narolewski followed her. Soto then got out of the car and began arguing with Narolewski.

At some point during their heated exchange, Soto allegedly drew a 9mm handgun and shot Narolewski, who was unarmed, six times in the face and body.

Soto then allegedly fled into a nearby alley, where he discarded the gun and the hoodie he had been wearing. Police said they were able to recover both items and that DNA evidence on them matched Soto's DNA. The hoodie also had traces of gunpowder, and the shell casings recovered from the scene matched the gun, police claimed.

Police also alleged that several witnesses who personally know Soto identified him as the shooter. Surveillance footage likewise captured the shooting and indicated that Soto was responsible.

Despite the overwhelming evidence police were able to collect, Soto was not charged in the incident until earlier this month, though the reason he had not been charged for so long is unclear.

That failure to arrest Soto a year ago may have had deadly consequences for another man. According to police records, Soto was arrested less than three months after Narolewski's violent death for yet another murder — this time of an ex-girlfriend's new lover.

According to court documents, on January 26, 2022, Soto saw on a Facebook livestream that his ex-girlfriend had thrown a party attended by her new boyfriend as well as some family and friends. Later that night, long after the party had ended, prosecutors alleged that Soto sent a series of Snapchats to her, stating that if he couldn't have her, then no one could. One message also reportedly threatened that she and her new boyfriend would soon "catch shots."

Then, at around 2:30 a.m., Soto supposedly drove over to her residence in a stolen car and fired several gunshots at the house. One of the shots allegedly struck and killed Hector Flores, who was sleeping at the time. Conflicting reports list Flores' age at either 31 or 33. Whether he was the ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend is unclear, as is whether the same woman is connected to each incident.

Two days after Flores' death, Soto was arrested for first-degree murder, attempted murder, possession of a stolen vehicle, and various weapons charges. His public defender has stated that, since January, Soto has worked on earning his GED. The attorney also claimed that Soto had been bullied and had "encountered some troubling moments" in high school, which may prove relevant to the accusations against him.

Soto, who has no criminal history, has pled not guilty to the January shooting. He was being held without bail when he was arrested last week for the murder of Narolewski. He is expected to appear in court again on Nov. 23.