Two Men Charged With Murder In Aurora

Two men, ages 17 and 18, were charged with first-degree murder today in connection with the previously-reported shooting that occurred Monday evening on the city’s East Side.

The Aurora Police Department has arrested and charged two teenagers in connection to a homicide on the city’s east side Monday evening.

Just after 7:30 p.m. on Monday, May 24, Aurora’s 911 Telecommunications Center received reports of a person shot in the 400 block of South Spencer Street. When officers arrived on the scene, they found a man suffering from gunshot wounds. Aurora Fire Department paramedics arrived on the scene and transported the male to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.

The victim in the homicide has been identified as Samuel Ortiz-Rodriguez 46 years old, of the 300 block of Hidden Creek Lane in North Aurora.

Detectives from the Aurora Police Department’s Bureau of Investigations responded to the scene and began investigating the specific circumstances of the incident. Officers and detectives then conducted a canvass of the neighborhood to collect potential information from neighbors to assist with the investigation. During the canvass, officers located several cooperative citizens who provided critical information and video footage, which ultimately led officers to the 500 block of E. Downer Place in Aurora to search for the offenders.

Detectives were then able to secure a search warrant for this location, and in the early morning hours of Tuesday, May 25, the Aurora Police’s Special Response Team (SRT) executed the warrant and took 17 year old Fidel Bello and 18 year old Cesar Ponce into custody. Both subjects reside in Aurora.

The case was reviewed with the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office and [both suspects were charged with first-degree murder.]

Both subjects appeared in bond call on Wednesday morning and bail was set at $1,000,000 for both subjects. Although Fidel Bello is a juvenile, he is being charged as an adult in this case.

This investigation into the homicide remains an active investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call Aurora Police’s Investigations Division at (630) 256-5500. You can also call the Aurora Area Crime Stoppers at (630) 892-1000 to report information regarding the incident anonymously.

Police emphasized that charges are not proof of guilt and that the defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial, at which it is the burden of the State to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.