Glendale Heights man pleads guilty to random sex attacks

A man accused of sexually attacking three women at random outside his Glendale Heights apartment building pleaded guilty Monday to felony charges.

Adan Morales-Guerrero, 22, faces up to 21 years in prison after pleading guilty to three counts of attempted criminal sexual assault. He also must register as a sex offender.

Prosecutors said Morales-Guerrero attacked two victims in March and another in September — all as they walked through a parking lot near his home on the 2300 block of Century Point during late night or early morning hours. He was arrested when a witness to the third attack intervened and detained him until police arrived.

The first incident occurred March 13 when Morales-Guerrero tackled a 41-year-old woman from behind, climbed on top of her, and touched her inappropriately, according to the allegations. Five days later, prosecutors said, he kissed a 31-year-old woman on the mouth and tried to pull down her pants as she walked by him.

Both of the first two victims gave descriptions of their attacker, but he was not apprehended until a third attack in September. In that case, prosecutors said, Morales-Guerrero pulled a 33-year-old woman away from her car, threw her to the ground, and fondled her.

“She was able to break free but the defendant grabbed her hair and pulled her to the ground again,” DuPage County prosecutor Anne Therieau said in court Monday.

A witness who saw the attacker lying on top of the third victim as she screamed intervened and held him until police arrived. Morales-Guerrero, who told police he had been drinking, later confessed he tried to “hug” three women in the parking lot, Therieau said. She said all three victims identified the defendant in a lineup.

No serious injuries were reported in any of the cases, authorities said, and none of the victims previously knew the defendant.

Morales-Guerrero, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, could be sentenced to up to 7 years for each attack if Judge Kathryn Creswell finds consecutive terms are necessary for public safety. He also could receive probation.

“It was his decision” to plead guilty, defense attorney Sal Miglore said outside of court.

Creswell is expected to set a sentencing date at the defendant’s next court appearance in March.