Children of Arturo Cantu, who was killed in the Bridgeview shooting near South Oketo Avenue at 79th Street, are asking the public for help in finding the killer

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. (WLS) – The children of a 39-year-old man who was shot to death in southwest suburban Bridgeview are asking anyone with information about their father’s death to come forward so the case can be solved.

“I’m just really sad because he was just someone that I loved very much,” daughter Kayla Cantu said.

“It hurt his mother, me, my sister; it hurt everyone. I never got to show him that I took first place,” said his son Jonathan Cantu.

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Arturo Cantu had started his car remotely and was heading there when he was confronted near the vehicle near the corner of South Oketo Avenue and 79th Street, Bridgeview police said.

He was shot multiple times, police said. His body was found on the easement in the area.

Cantu’s family, including his 10-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son, are devastated. They told ABC7 the 39-year-old was a great father and always helped people.

“It really touched me. He’ll never see me grow up, he’ll never see his kids grow up,” Jonathan said. “I can never forgive the person who did this to my father.”

His children said they wanted to speak publicly to help the investigation. They hope anyone with information will come forward so they can solve this case. Bridgeview police said they continue to investigate the motive and search for the person who fired the fatal shots.

The children live with their mother, who is divorced from Cantu, in Chicago. She did not want to speak on camera, but only wanted to support her children’s wishes and express her condolences to the entire Cantu family.

“I want to know who the person who killed my father is,” Kayla said. “If you know something, just say it. If you saw something, just say it.”

A neighbor told ABC7 he saw the victim taking out the trash and then saw another man standing next to Cantu behind Cantu’s car.

“I heard something at my door or window. I run to see what the noise is, but no one is here,” said neighbor Mohamed Mohamed. “All I see is the car’s lights on.”

Another neighbor told ABC7 he heard the shots and then heard something at his window.

“I put the creamer in my coffee, stirred it and all of a sudden I heard ‘Boom Boom Boom Boom…’ four of them,” said neighbor Randy Peterson.

Mancha also said Cantu’s girlfriend was in the apartment at the time of the shooting and the victim was found with a knife in his hand.

It is not clear whether it was used in the confrontation.

“That is a rarity. I think this is our first shoot here in a year, if I’m not mistaken, over a year. So this is a rare event,” Mancha said.

Mancha also said the department plans to work with nearby businesses to determine whether the suspect was caught on camera during the shooting.

Both Cantu’s ex-wife and his parents are trying to raise money for his funeral.