Probation, fines in Carpentersville birthday party murder
hhitzeman@dailyherald.com
A judge Thursday sentenced a Carpentersville woman to four years probation and nearly $8,000 restitution for funeral costs after she pleaded guilty to stabbing and killing an Aurora woman who was an uninvited guest at her 19th birthday party.
Jacqueline Loyola, now 20, also must perform 100 hours of community service and continue counseling as part of the sentence for second-degree murder issued by Kane County Judge Timothy Sheldon.
Authorities initially charged Loyola in April 2010 with first-degree murder — a crime punishable by 20 to 60 years in prison — for stabbing Kassandra Caceres, 20, of Aurora, in the back several times after Caceres punched and kicked Loyola's 16-year-old sister.
Loyola, who had been on electronic home monitoring since her arrest, pleaded guilty in September to the lesser charge of second-degree murder, a crime punishable by four to 20 years. Probation also was an option.
“We're grateful the judge considered all of the information,” said defense attorney David Camic, who argued for probation and noted Loyola was hospitalized with post-traumatic stress disorder afterward and her family was threatened.
Loyola, who recently gave birth to a daughter, tearfully apologized for her actions and said she was trying to save her sister.
“I did not think about the consequences at that time,” she said. “I am not a bad person. I made a horrible decision to take justice into my own hands.”
Caceres' mother and aunt said Loyola's apology was “phony.”
“I don't think there was justice,” said Caceres' mother, Donna Ramos, after the court hearing. “(Cassandra's) two kids (now 2 and 6) are without a mother. It's not fair that (Loyola) can spend time with her daughter and mine is gone. She should be incarcerated and spent some time thinking about what she did.”
Caceres' aunt, Ann Moctezuma, read a letter in court written by Ramos on the effect Caceres' death has had on her two sons. The boys don't know what happened to their mother and Ramos dreads the day when she must tell them the truth. Caceres' death was the result of a “senseless and barbaric act,” the letter said.
“I hope that every time (Loyola) looks into the eyes of her daughter, she sees the eyes of my nephews,” Moctezuma said afterward. “A fight is a fight, You don't kill in a fight.”
Assistant State's Attorney Pam Monaco argued that Loyola should spend time in prison and noted that Loyola was a frequent runaway as a teen, had a misdemeanor battery conviction in a fight over a parking spot and was pulled over by Elgin police while out on bond wearing gang colors to support a friend who was shot.
Carpentersville police said Loyola was throwing a party in April 2010 and that Caceres, who was in a rival gang, arrived with a group of six or seven other people who weren't invited but were told they could stay.
The party turned violent after Caceres lit a cigarette inside the home and was escorted outside, authorities said.
Carpentersville police testified at a July 2010 coroner's inquest that Loyola called police after the stabbing and said she acted to protect her sister.