A man is in custody for allegedly supplying the cocaine that led to the death by overdose of a Wheaton man in 2021.
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Wheaton Chief of Police Bill Murphy announced yesterday that an Aurora man has been charged with one count of Drug Induced Homicide, a Class X Felony, in the death of sixty-two-year-old Raul Torres of Wheaton.
According to prosecutors, it is alleged that on the afternoon of March 29, 2021, Wheaton police officers and paramedics found Torres unconscious and not breathing on the living room couch of his home with a pipe in his hand and a white powdery substance, later identified as cocaine, on the floor in front of him. Torres was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Upon further investigation, police identified the accused, 21, as the individual who allegedly supplied Torres with the illegal narcotics. On the day of Torres’ death, Wilson went to Torres’ home and sold him cocaine, which Torres then ingested, resulting in an overdose.
The accused is also currently facing a Manufacture/Delivery of 400-900 Grams of Cocaine charge (Class Super X) out of Winnebago County. He was arrested by Wheaton detectives and Winnebago County sheriff’s deputies on July 26, 2023. He appeared at his bond hearing the following day, where bond was set at $500,000 with 10% to apply.
“Illegal narcotics continue to take thousands of lives each year,” Berlin said. “These souls are lost forever while those who supplied the deadly doses make money from death, as alleged in this case. The charges filed today should send a shiver down the spine of anyone who makes the mistake of selling drugs in DuPage County where we look at every illegal narcotics overdose case as the potential result of criminal action committed by the supplier. My sincere condolences go out to Mr. Torres’ family and friends on their loss.”
The accused’s next court appearance is scheduled for August 23, 2023, for arraignment in front of Judge Michael Reidy.