Melissa Espana is a Digital Content Producer at WGN-TV.
Before joining WGN in June 2017, she worked as a web producer at ABC7 Chicago. She also produced at KTIV News in Sioux City, Iowa.
Melissa graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a bachelor’s in broadcast journalism.
CHICAGO — A protest was held after a priest on the city’s North Side burned an LGBTQ flag outside his Avondale church last week, against the wishes of Cardinal Blase Cupich. The Rev. Paul Kalchik burned the flag, which features a rainbow with a cross over it, along with seven parishioners during a “prayer of exorcism” at Resurrection Catholic Church last Friday, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. He has been at Resurrection since 2007. Before he took over at Resurrection, […]
CHICAGO – Police said three people were hospitalized after a shooting in the South Loop Wednesday evening. The shooting happened near Cermak Road and State Street around 9:30 p.m. The victims were shot while sitting in a car. Police said the incident began during some type of altercation involving the victims’ car and another car. Police said the second car pulled up, the offender got out and fired shots into the car striking the three people. Officials said a 16-month-old […]
CICERO, Ill. — Authorities said a citizen who had a concealed carry permit shot at the person suspected of shooting at a Cicero police officer on Thursday. A Cicero officer, identified as 31-year-old Luis Duarte, who officials said is a four-year veteran of the force, was shot multiple times around 5 p.m. Thursday near the Cicero Avenue entrance ramp on I-55 on the border of Chicago and Cicero. During a press conference, Cicero Police Superintendent Jerry Chlada said officers attempted to […]
CHICAGO — A Jewel-Osco in the city was closed due to rodents being found inside the store, according to health officials. The Chicago Department of Public Health conducted an inspection at the Jewel-Osco at 1220 S. Ashland Ave. on Tuesday and found rodents. They said the store will remain closed until the CDPH determines the location has met code standards. Officials at Jewel-Osco said they are working with the health department to rectify the situation. In early August, rodent droppings […]
ELGIN, Ill. – Police are asking for the public’s help to find a man they said fatally shot his sister and injured three others at an Elgin bar over the weekend. Elgin police said they are trying to find Shannon Smith, 23, a Chicago man, who they said shot and killed a woman at D Hangout Bar at 555 S. McLean Blvd. Police responded to the Elgin bar on Sunday, Sept. 9 around 12:30 a.m. for reports of a shooting. […]
CHICAGO – A 17-year-old was shot in the city’s Humboldt Park neighborhood, according to Chicago police. Police said the teen was sitting on a bench in the 1400 block of North Luis Munoz Drive around 6 p.m. when several men discharged at least one weapon in his direction. The teen was hit in the left shoulder. He went to Norwegian Hospital and police said he is in good condition. Four people of interest were taken into custody. The investigation is […]
CHICAGO – Police said a woman’s body was found Monday morning by a Streets and Sanitation crew. The woman’s body was found in a garbage can in an alley on the 500 block of West 95th Street around 11:30 a.m. It is unclear how the body ended up there. No further information was provided.
CHICAGO — Police are investigating after a 36-year-old woman staying at a popular River North hotel was followed into her room by an armed man, bound, raped and robbed Saturday night. Chicago police say a man armed with a gun followed a woman into her sixth floor room in the Godfrey Hotel, then bound her with duct tape and zip ties before sexually assaulting her. The man then took her ATM card and forced her to give him the pin before […]
CHICAGO – A woman missing from Gurnee was found dead in the DuSable Harbor on Thursday. Divers discovered the body of Daniela Forero, 22, around 12:30 p.m. She was pulled from the water near the sluice gates at 250 N. Breakwater Access near the Lakeview East neighborhood, according to the Chicago Tribune, and was pronounced dead. Forero was last seen Monday on the 100 block of North Lake Shore Drive. A missing persons alert was issued Wednesday and said she […]
GARY, Ind. — The mother of a 2-year-old girl who was fatally shot in the head in Gary was charged on Thursday in connection to her death, according to police. Dashana Mattica Fowler, 22, was charged with one count of level one neglect of a dependent resulting in death and three counts of level six neglect of a dependent, according to officials. The toddler, identified as Jayla Miller, was shot in the 1700 block of Polk Street around 7 p.m. […]
