An Aurora man was ordered held on $5 million bail today for allegedly beating a young woman to death with a hammer and then torching her body and her car, a crime a prosecutor labeled “exceptionally brutal.”
Juan Garnica Jr., 18, of the 400 block of East Ashland Avenue, appeared briefly via video in Kane County bond court, his first court appearance since he was charged with first-degree murder and other crimes in the death of Abigail Villalpando, 18, of Aurora.
It was the first homicide in Aurora since 2011, more than 400 days ago, according to city spokesman Dan Ferrelli.
Two other men have been charged with concealing the homicide.
Judge Christine Downs set bail for one of the men, Enrique Prado, 19, of Aurora, at $100,000. Assistant State’s Attorney Bill Engerman told the judge that police have no evidence that Prado, who also faces arson charges, participated in the murder of Villalpando. Prado has also been cooperative with police since his arrest, the prosecutor said.
A third man, 20-year-old Jose Becerra, did not appear in court this morning. He may appear this afternoon on his charge of concealment of a homicidal death.
Villalpando’s body, which was so badly burned that it had to be identified through dental records, was discovered in a wooded area near Montgomery Sunday morning, about two days after her car was found engulfed in flames under a bridge in Aurora.
Police said the victim met Prado and Garnica Thursday at Prado’s home, and that Garnica hit Villalpando in the head several times with a hammer after Prado left the room. Engerman declined to disclose why VIllalpando went to the house, but police did say she knew Garnica and Prado.
Police have not disclosed a motive for the attack.
Sometime Thursday night , Garnica allegedly drove the victim’s car to the High Street bridge over the railroad tracks on the city’s near east side an left it there. Villalpando’s body was concealed in a container in Prado’s garage, police said.
On Friday, Garnica and Prado bought a can of gas, which Garncia used to torch Villalpando’s 2003 Nissan Altima. Garnica then allegedly burned the victim’s body in a barrel in the backyard at Prado’s house. He then enlisted Becerra to help dump the body, police said.
Villalpando’s family reported her missing about 2:30 a.m. Friday, after she failed to show up at her waitress job at a Denny’s at the Fox Valley Center shopping center. A restaurant employee called the family around 5 p.m. Thursday to report that she had not showed up for work.
Engerman said Garnica has a 2011 arrest for a stolen car, a charge that was later reduced to criminal trespass to a vehicle.
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$5 million bail in 'exceptionally brutal' Aurora murder
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