14-Year Sentence for Second Man in Beating Death

The second West Chicago teen was sentenced to 14 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections Tuesday. Alejandro Martinez, 19 of West Chicago was sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of Armed Violence, a Class X Felony in the murder of Thomas Tecuatl, 22, of Wheaton.

On March 3, Anthony Rios, 19, also of West Chicago, entered a plea of guilty to the same charge and was sentenced to 17 years in the IDOC.

A third defendant, Jonathan Jimenez, 21, of Aurora is being held in DuPage County Jail on a bond of $1 million.

“This morning, Mr. Martinez took responsibility for his role in the death of Thomas Tecuatl,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in a written release. “Mr. Martinez is the second of three men charged in Mr. Tecuatl’s death. The case against the third man, Jonathan Jimenez, continues.”

On the morning of Nov. 17, 2013, Rios, Martinez and Jimenez went to a party on Pomeroy Street near Route 59 in West Chicago, prosecutors said. Tecuatl was also at that party. An altercation occurred and Tecuatl allegedly pulled a knife.

After Tecuatl left the party, he was chased by numerous partygoers, including Rios, Martinez and Jimenez.

According to the charges, as Tecuatl attempted to flee, he slipped and fell on the wet pavement, dropping his knife. After beating Tecuatl, co-defendant Jimenez allegedly grabbed the knife that Tecuatl had dropped and fatally stabbed him.

Jimenez, whose next court appearance is scheduled for April 6, faces a possible sentence of up to natural life in the IDOC. He has been charged with six counts of First Degree Murder and two counts of Mob Action.