Author: Paul Stukel

An Aurora man has been sentenced to 90 years in prison after being convicted of murder and attempted murder related to a gang-related shooting incident in September 2022. Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie L. Mosser announced today that Judge Barsanti has sentenced 27-year-old Samuel Garcia of Aurora to 90 years of imprisonment for the offenses of first-degree murder (a class M felony) and attempt first-degree murder (a class X felony). At trial, prosecutors proved that Garcia personally discharged the murder weapon, resulting in a mandatory add-on of 25 years to life for each count. According to prosecutors, on the afternoon of September 24,…

A 19-year-old Oswego man is in custody after being arrested for his alleged involvement in a violent robbery involving a group of assailants on a Chicago Transit Authority train last October. According to authorities, the suspect was part of a larger group who, on October 12 of last year, physically assaulted and robbed a 23-year-old man near the 69th Street CTA station on Chicago’s south side. The suspect was arrested Tuesday in Oswego, and has been charged with felony counts of aggravated battery of transit passenger and robbery. Police have provided no further details of the incident.

Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser has cleared a Batavia police officer and two Kane County sheriff’s deputies of any wrongdoing related to an incident this summer that resulted in the death of a a suspect, 39-year-old Michael J. Seidelman. Mosser’s investigation concluded that Seidelman’s death was a suicide carried out by a single self-inflicted gunshot wound, that no officer-fired rounds struck Seidelman, and that the deadly use of force by a Batavia officer and two Kane County sheriff’s deputies was justified and within the law. “I commend the officers of the Batavia Police Department and the Kane County Sheriff’s…

The Elgin Human Rights Commission will present its 41st Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Prayer Breakfast on Saturday, January 17, at 8:30am (doors open at 8:00am). The breakfast will be help at Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Drive – Building E, in Elgin. This will be a morning of celebration, speakers, prayer, music and remembrance. Local leaders and organizations will be recognized and honored as recipients of the Dr. King Humanitarian Award.  Tickets are available online at https://givebutter.com/J3Hrzc. Individual Tickets are $30. Tables of 8 are available at $240. For questions about online ticketing, please contact June Wooten from the Dr. King…

The musicians of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra and actors of point2pointproductions bring “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” to life in the Hemmens Cultural Center On Sunday, January 11, at 2:30pm. Based on the timeless Victor Hugo novel, showcasing music from Disney’s Academy-Award nominated 1996 animated film and incorporating new songs by the legendary creative team of Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” is a live concert-style performance not to be missed. Tickets are $25 ($15 for students) and can be purchased here. The Hemmens Cultural Center is located at 45 Symphony Way in Elgin.

An Arizona man was released on his own recognizance Friday morning after being charged with stealing cells phones from an Apple Store in Naperville on New Year’s Day. The suspect was charged with one count of Burglary (Class 2 Felony), one count of Retail Theft (Class 3 Felony) and one count of Misdemeanor Fleeing or Attempting to Elude a Police Officer. According to police, on January 1 at approximately 4:25pm, the suspect, a 24-year-old resident of Chandler, Arizona, entered the Apple Store located at 120 West Jefferson Avenue in Naperville , selected three iPhone 17 Pro Max 1TB phones and…

Aurora police are investigating a shooting Monday evening that sent a 20-year-old man to hospital in critical yet stable condition. According to police, at approximately 6:36pm, Aurora Police officers responded to a report of a shooting in the 600 block of Wilder Street in Aurora, where they were notified that a 20-year-old male victim was shot outside the residence and driven to a local hospital. The victim was eventually transported to another hospital for treatment of his injuries and is currently listed in critical, yet stable condition. No additional injuries were reported. Detectives from the Aurora Police Department’s Investigations Bureau…

An Elgin woman who pleaded guilty to killing the man with whom she shared a house has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie L. Mosser announced that on December 18, Sylvia Camacho pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder, a Class 1 felony, in the stabbing death of Peter J. Lopez, 56, a man with whom she shared a residence in the 300 block of Ryerson Avenue in Elgin. Camacho was originally charged with First Degree Murder. Judge Julia A. Yetter accepted the plea and handed down the sentence. According to prosecutors, sometime during the…

A Bartlett man is in custody after allegedly using a handgun to rob a business on Chicago’s West Side earlier this month. According to Chicago police, on December 16 at approximately 12:15pm, the 55-year-old suspect produced a handgun and demanded property from a commercial business in the 1700 block of West 18th Street in Chicago. The value of property received, if any, has not been disclosed. Yesterday at 8:40am, members of the Chicago Police Department Citywide Robbery Task Force arrested the suspect in the 500 Block of Wilson Lane in Des Plaines.. The offender was placed into custody and charged…

Three women were hospitalized after a shooting on Christmas Day in Aurora. On Thursday at approximately 8:08pm, Aurora Police officers responded to a report of a shooting in the 300 block of Sunset Avenue where they discovered three female victims suffering from gunshot wounds. Aurora Fire Department paramedics transported the women, ages 34, 36, and 55, to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. No additional injuries were reported. Detectives from the Aurora Police Department’s Investigations Bureau responded to the scene and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. The investigation remains active. Anyone with information is asked to…