4th teen charged in grisly West Chicago murder
POSTED 3:52 PM, AUGUST 25, 2018,
Left to right: Francisco Alvarado, Saul Ruiz, Tia Brewer, Jesus Correa
WHEATON, Ill. ? A fourth suburban Chicago teenager has been charged in the grisly slaying of another teen who was strangled, stabbed, set on fire and run over with a vehicle earlier this month.
In a news release, the DuPage County State?s Attorney?s Office says 18-year-old Saul Ruiz of West Chicago was charged this week with first-degree murder.
Already charged with first-degree murder are 18-year-old Francisco Alvarado of West Chicago and 16-year-old Tia Brewer of Wheaton. Prosecutors also announced that 18-year-old Jesus Jurado Correa of West Chicago, who was originally charged with concealing a homicide, has been charged with first-degree murder.
The four are suspected in the Aug. 13 slaying of 18-year-old Luis Guerrero of West Chicago, whose still smoldering body was found in a field in the 1300 block of Joliet Street in unincorporated Wheaton on Aug. 14.
The chief of police said firefighters first noticed smoke while they were doing training in the area around noon.
The DuPage County state?s attorney said at some point on Tuesday, Alvarado and Brewer arranged to meet Guerrero near the West Chicago Public Library. Officials said when they met, Alvarado approached Guerrero from behind and strangled him with a belt. At the same time, prosecutors said, Alvarado and Brewer stabbed Guerrero multiple times in his neck. Officials said the two then put Guerrero into their Jeep Cherokee, traveled to a location on Joliet Street and took him out of the car.
That?s when the pair contacted Correa and asked him to bring gasoline, prosecutors said. When Correa arrived, according to officials, he gave the pair gas and left the scene. Officials said the suspects then poured gas on Guerrero?s body and lit him on fire.
While he was on fire, officials said, Guerrero got up and started to run away. That?s when Alvarado and Brewer ran him over with their car. Officials said the two then dragged Guerrero back to the fire pit, re-lit him on fire and placed a picnic table over him.
Authorities later found Brewer and Alvarado in a Chicago hotel with a blood-stained murder weapon. Officials said the suspects were planning to flee; both face the possibility of life without parole.
Prosecutors said Brewer had dated Guerrero before Alvarado and told investigators Guerrero had sexually assaulted her. However, officials said she never lodged a complaint.