Glenview teen pleads guilty to running down Des Plaines boy

A Glenview teen pleaded guilty to using his car to run down and kill a 16-year-old Des Plaines boy in the parking lot of Niles’ Golf Mill Shopping Center.

A Cook County judge sentenced Francisco Moran, 18, of the 10400 block of W. Michael Todd Terrace, to 20 years in prison in exchange for Moran’s guilty plea to first-degree murder charges stemming from the Nov. 28, 2009, death of Edgardo De La Torre, a Maine East High School sophomore. De La Torre suffered multiple head injuries after Moran struck him with a black Chevy Cavalier he was driving, a vehicle authorities say was stolen several weeks before the incident.

Moran and De La Torre were childhood friends who grew apart after they took different paths, authorities said.

Prosecutors say Moran encountered De La Torre, another victim and five witnesses in the parking lot and drove the vehicle toward the group, striking and injuring another victim. Moran then made a U-turn and deliberately drove toward De La Torre, who was struck from behind as he ran, said a spokesman from the Office of the Cook County State’s Attorney.

Moran fled and called a girlfriend, who picked him up and took him to his home, where police arrested him the following day, the spokesman said.

Moran also pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree murder and was sentenced to six years in prison, to run concurrent with the other sentence. Moran received credit for the 709 days he has spent in custody since his arrest. He must complete 100 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.