Aurora Man Who Fatally Shot Victim In Head In 2022 Learns Prison Sentence: Mosser

AURORA, IL — A man convicted of the September 2022 murder of an Aurora man was sentenced for first-degree murder, Kane County State's Attorney Jamie Mosser said Thursday.

Samuel Garcia was sentenced to a total of 90 years of imprisonment after a jury convicted him Oct. 31 of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. Assistant State's Attorneys Lori Anderson and Amanda Busljeta proved that the now-28-year-old-mandischarged the weapon that killed Ferrer Velasquez on Sept. 24, according to a news release.

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On that Saturday more than three years ago, prosecutors said Garcia got out of a white sedan in the 300 block of Center Avenue in Aurora and, while brandishing a silver revolver, confronted two men who had earlier come to the aid of a teenager whom Garcia was harassing.

Garcia yelled gang slogans, then fired the revolver, officials said, shooting one of the men in the face and left arm. The second man, Velasquez, attempted to flee but stumbled and fell to the ground. Garcia stood over him, shot him twice in the head, then fled in the sedan, prosecutors said in court.

Velasquez was pronounced dead at the scene, and the other victim was taken to a local hospital and recovered from his injuries.

During their investigation, Aurora police tracked down the car connected to Garcia and identified the driver as Alonzo Sanchez, who was also charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.

Garcia, of the 600 block of South Fourth Street in Aurora, was sentenced to 55 years for first-degree murder and 35 years for attempted murder. He is required to serve 100 percent of the former term and 85 percent of the latter, prosecutors said. He received credit for the 1,198 days spent in the Kane County jail.

"This sentence holds accountable not only the defendant but also sends a clear message that gang violence will not be tolerated in Kane County," Anderson said in a statement.