Mail Carrier Found Murdered in Home's Oak Park Garage

Oak Park, Ill. - Oak Park police are investigating the death of a mail carrier found bleeding from the head Thursday morning in his garage in west suburban Oak Park.

Officers responded about 10 a.m. to the 835 S. East Ave. after a 911 caller said a man was in the garage, bleeding from his head, a release from Oak Park police said.

The man was identified as 41-year-old Pedro Gurrola Jr. who was dead on the scene, the Cook County Medical Examiner's office said.

Oak Park Police Chief Rick Tanksley told Pioneer Press investigators have several leads but did not elaborate. He said he didn’t believe the attack on Gurrola was random, saying, ’We don’t think there’s reason for fear at this time.’

Gurrola's car, a 1997, four-door, red or maroon Chevrolet Lumina with an Illinois license plate of 8479360, was missing, police said. What appeared to be a silver Nissan Pathfinder was left inside the garage.

Police believe the incident occurred as the victim was leaving for work at about 6:45 a.m. Gurrola was found by his wife around 10 a.m. He suffered blunt force trauma to the head, police said.

Police were still gathering evidence from the garage late Thursday afternoon.

Patricia Boone of the 800 block South Scoville said she’s known the Gurrolas for nine years. She said Pedro Gurrola worked as a mail carrier ’out in the western suburbs.’

She said her son and the Gurrola’s oldest daughter graduated from Oak Park-River Forest High School several years ago. That daughter, she said, is now serving in the Army in Iraq.

Beth Pucinello, who lives across the street, said she didn’t know the family, but her daughter was best friends with a friend of the Gurralo’s youngest daughter, a sixth-grader at Julian Middle School.

Pedro Gurralo, she said, ’seemed like a nice guy, always doing yard work.’