Domestic Abuse March To Be Led By Mother Of Slain Romeoville Teen

BOLINGBROOK, IL — A rally and march denouncing domestic violence will feature a keynote speech by the mother of Briana Valle, the teenage victim of one of the area's most horrific instances of domestic violence in recent years. Briana's mother, Alicia Guerrero, will speak at the Oct. 10 rally in Bolingbrook.

Briana, 15, was killed in 2014 when an ex-boyfriend shot her outside of her Romeoville home. Briana was in the car with her mother, who was about to drive her daughter to school when the ex-boyfriend, Erick Maya, pulled up and opened fire. Alicia was shot in the neck in the incident.

Alicia testified in the murder trial of Maya, recounting in horrific detail how the Cicero man stalked and eventually killed her daughter.(Maya's conviction on murder charges could be in jeopardy, after a Will County judge this year ruled that the man's defense counsel was ineffective.)

Now, Alicia will be the speaker at the 21st annual Rally and March Against Abuse, to be held Oct. 10 in Bolingbrook. The event is put on by Citizens Against Abuse, a Bolingbrook group that seeks to prevent and inspire action against domestic abuse.

Alicia will recount her story and talk about the scourge of domestic violence in society, according to the group.

"Her goal is to prevent this from happening again and to keep her daughter's memory alive," the group's event page reads.

The 21st annual march and rally will take place from 5:30 -7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10 at the DuPage Township-Levy Center, 241 Canterbury Ln. For more information on the event, click here.