WEST CHICAGO, IL — Francisco Alvarado — one of four teenagers involved in the violent killing of 18-year-old Luis Guerrero and his subsequent burning in 2018 in West Chicago — received a 40-year prison sentence, according to officials who announced this on Wednesday.
Alvarado, who is 25 years old, admitted guilt in 2022 for first-degree murder and serious kidnapping, as reported by the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office. His co-defendant, 23-year-old Tia Brewer, originally from Wheaton, also pleaded guilty to the same charges andalso received a 40-year prison sentence in February, authorities said.
Co-defendants Jesus Jurado-Correa, 25, and Saul Ruiz, 24, both admitted guilt to charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and received sentences of 15 and 10 years in prison, respectively, as reported by officials.
Firefighters from West Chicago found Guerrerro's body during a training exercise on the afternoon of August 14, 2018, after noticing something burning in a nearby fire pit on the 1300 block of Joliet Street, according to officials.
The four co-defendants had been planning the murder for roughly a month, as reported by officials, who mentioned that Brewer set up a meeting with Guerrero in the early morning of August 14 at the West Chicago Public Library. Upon arrival, Alvarado attacked him from behind, suffocating him with a belt, according to authorities. They also stated that Alvarado and Brewer stabbed and hit him, transported him to Joliet, and set him on fire while he was unconscious, using gasoline provided by Correa.
As the fire raged, Guerrero stood up and attempted to flee, but Alvarado and Brewer attacked him with knives and fists, pulled him back to the pit, and reignited the flames, as reported by officials.
Having served as a prosecutor for thirty-seven years, I believed I had witnessed the darkest sides of humanity," said DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin in a social media update from his office regarding the sentencing. "However, on August 18, 2018, I was shown to be mistaken.
Berlin described the killing as "unforgivable" and "horrifying."
reported in 2018that the teenagers also hit Guerrero with a vehicle, and that Guerrero was in a relationship with Brewer, who was dating Alvarado. Brewer informed law enforcement that Guerrero had sexually assaulted her previously, as reported, but the Chicago Tribune noted at the time that no official report of an assault had been submitted to authorities.
A parent of one of the teenagers alerted authorities about blood in a car, leading police to locate Alvarado and Brewer at a Chicago hotel, where they found a backpack and a knife stained with blood, as previously reported.
The article 'Unforgivable': Man Receives 40-Year Sentence for the 'Horrible' Death of a Teen in West Chicago appeared first on Wheaton .