Man On Parole For 2nd Degree Murder Convicted Of 1st Degree Murder In Double Shooting

WAUKEGAN, IL — Authorities said a Beach Park man is headed to prison for more than a half-century after he was found guilty of shooting two men, one fatally, in Waukegan last year.

Juan Garibay, 43, was convicted of first-degree murder and aggravated battery with a firearm in connection with the Aug. 26, 2021, slaying of 30-year-old Martin Reyes Cervantes outside of a house in the 1400 block of Lorraine Place.

Following a five-day jury trial, a Lake County jury needed just two hours of deliberations Friday to agree on Garibay's guilt, according to the Lake County State's Attorney's Office.

Prosecutors said Cervantes and another man were working on a car when Garibay showed up wearing a mask and carrying a gun. He shot one man in the head and one in the back before fleeing.

Both victims were taken to an area hospital, where Cervantes was pronounced dead.

Police and prosecutors said the shooting followed an earlier altercation between Garibay and the surviving victim.

Garibay also know of and had mutual friends with Cervantes, the man he has been convicted of murdering, according to the state's attorney's office.

Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart said Garibay's most recent conviction brought justice to the community and the families of both victims.

"We assigned three prosecutors, two victim specialists, and an investigator to this matter because violent crimes, such as this one, are an enormous priority," Rinehart said in a statement.

"Since the shooting in August 2021, the Waukegan Police Department and the FBI conducted an outstanding investigation of an individual who was trying to cover his tracks," Rinehart said.

"The detectives' and agents' diligence paid off," he said, "and our attorneys clearly explained technical evidence to the jury."

Prosecutors put on more than a dozen witnesses at trial, including the surviving victim.

Police testified that cellphone records showed Garibay was in the area at the time of the shooting and that he was wearing clothing that matched the description of the shooter.

His relatives provided a timeline of when they saw him on the day of the shooting, and forensic experts established the cause of Cervantes' death and the way he and the other man were shot.

The defense called just single witness to the stand. Garibay did not testify.

Garibay's conviction for first-degree murder carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 45 years, to be served at 100 percent, while the aggravated battery with a firearm conviction brings an additional sentence of six to 30 years.

The sentences must be served consecutively, so Garibay is due to be sentenced to anywhere from 51 years to life in prison.

Garibay's recent conviction marks the second time he has been found guilty of a murder in Lake County.

Records show Garibay pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree murder in August 2004 in connection with the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Giovanni Mendiola in Waukegan a year earlier.

Garibay, then 24, and another man, Edwardo Ventura, were involved a fight with Mendiola and his brother when Ventura, who later fled to Mexico, shot and killed the teen.

A judge sentenced Garibay to 15 years in prison and he appealed the length of the term, but it was upheld by appellate court and he ended up serving more than seven years behind bars.

He was still on parole for his involvement in Mendiola's killing when he was found to have shot Cervantes and the other man, according to prosecutors. He was ordered held without bond while awaiting trial.

Court officials are set to conduct a presentencing investigation before the next hearing in the case Jan. 17.