Trial to begin today in pregnant woman's murder

Prosecutors and defense attorneys deliver their opening statements this morning as the first-degree murder trial of Rafael Alvarado gets underway in a Rolling Meadows courtroom.

Alvarado, 33, is charged with the bludgeoning deaths of his girlfriend, Norma Favela, and her unborn child during the early morning hours of June 4, 2009, in the Hanover Park home they shared.

Prosecutors say jealousy prompted Alvarado to attack his 31-year-old girlfriend with a hammer as she slept in a bedroom of their home in the 1700 block of Linden Avenue.

Alvarado believed Favela, who was seven to eight months pregnant at the time, had cheated on him with a neighbor, prosecutors said.

After the attack, Alvarado reportedly got a neighbor to drive him to a friend's house in Melrose Park, where he showered and changed clothes, authorities said. Police arrested the defendant as he and another person backed a car out of the garage.

Court records show that Alvarado was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison in 2004 for intent to distribute cocaine. He also has convictions for aggravated DUI in 2008 and 2009.

If convicted of Favela's murder, Alvarado could face 20 years to life in prison. If convicted of the intentional homicide of her unborn child, Alvarado could face 20 to 60 years in prison.

Tuesday's proceedings concluded with the selection of 12 jurors and two alternates. They will be sworn in at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday in Rolling Meadows courtroom 109, with opening statements to follow.