A jury has found an Aurora man, 26, guilty of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder in a 2022 shooting that left one dead and another hospitalized, the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office said on Tuesday.
According to statements presented in court by Assistant State’s Attorneys Lori Anderson and Amanda Busljeta about the shooting, a white sedan pulled up to the 300 block of Center Avenue in Aurora on Sept. 24, 2022, and Samuel Garcia, 26, of Aurora exited the passenger seat with a silver revolver, a news release from the State’s Attorney’s Office said.
Garcia then confronted two men, yelled gang slogans and shot one of the men in his face and left arm, according to the news release. A second man, Ferrer Velasquez, attempted to flee but stumbled and fell and was shot twice in the head by Garcia. Garcia then returned to the car, which fled eastbound.
Velasquez was pronounced dead at the scene, and the other victim was taken to a local hospital and recovered from his injuries, the release said. Witnesses said that, earlier that afternoon, Velasquez and the other individual had come to the aid of a juvenile being harassed by Garcia and the other individuals present in the car.
The car was ultimately tracked down via an investigation by the Aurora Police Department, and Garcia and his co-defendent, Alonzo Sanchez, were later arrested and charged.
Sanchez’s case is still pending pre-trial, a spokesperson for the State’s Attorney’s Office confirmed on Tuesday, with his next court date set for Nov. 14.
Garcia, following the guilty verdict, now faces a sentence of between 20 and 60 years in prison at the Illinois Department of Corrections, the State’s Attorney’s Office noted, with a mandatory add-on of 25 years to life because the state proved that he had personally discharged the firearm that caused Velasquez’s death.
He also faces 6 to 30 years for attempted first-degree murder, also with the mandatory add-on of 25 years to life because it was proven that he had discharged the firearm that caused great bodily harm to the other victim.
Garcia remains in custody at the Kane County jail, according to the State’s Attorney’s Office. A request to speak to his attorney was not immediately answered. Garcia is next set to appear in court on Jan. 7 for sentencing.