42-year-old Serafin A. Castellanos will spend the rest of his life in prison.
Kane County Judge Alice C. Tracy today sentenced Castellanos to life plus 45 years in prison for the March 2017 murders of 35-year-old Jermaine Taylor and 57-year-old Anselmo Fernandez, both of Aurora.
“Not only did this defendant’s criminal acts demonstrate a total disregard for human life, to this day he refuses to take any responsibility for the lives he violently ended,” Assistant State’s Attorney Bill Engerman commented in a statement. “With this sentence, he will have the rest of his natural life to reflect on his actions. It is our office’s hope that his sentence will act as deterrent to others who may think about shooting a gun in the direction of other people.
“My thanks to Aurora Police Det. Darrell Moore for his outstanding work on this case, along with the Aurora Police Department, ASA McCall, and victim advocate Martha Martinez.”
In the early morning hours of March 10, 2017, Castellanos approached Taylor, who had just left La Flama de Oro restaurant and bar in the 700 block of South Lincoln Avenue, Aurora. Castellanos fired a single shot from a handgun, striking Taylor in the torso.
Castellanos then fled on foot east on Simms Street. As he ran, Castellanos turned and fired eight more shots in the direction of the restaurant door as patrons were leaving because the establishment was closing for the night.
A bullet struck Fernandez, who was standing outside the door. Another bullet struck a third victim, who was in his car. Taylor and Fernandez were pronounced dead a short time later at a local hospital. The surviving victim was struck in the face and suffered a permanent eye injury.
A Kane County jury in December 2021 convicted Castellanos of the offenses of:
- First-degree murder, 2 counts
- Attempt first-degree murder, Class X felony
- Aggravated battery, Class X felony
- Aggravated discharge of a firearm, Class 1 felony
The sentence of life imprisonment in the Illinois Department of Corrections is mandatory because Castellanos has been convicted of two murders. The 45-year sentence is for the attempt murder.
