Convicted Aurora murderer guilty of 2nd 2007 shooting
An Aurora gang member likely will spend the rest of his life in prison for shooting two people on the same day - one of them fatally - seven years ago.
Enrique Torres, 33, got a 60-year prison term in 2011 for murdering Edgar Hill, 35, in the parking lot of an Aurora hotel in DuPage County.
Thursday, after a four-day trial, a jury convicted Torres of attempted murder and armed violence for a shooting that occurred earlier April 14, 2007, on the Kane County side of Aurora,
Now, Torres faces up to another 30 years in prison when sentenced on Oct. 29.
Kane County prosecutors said Torres fired at least seven shots at a car at Summit and Hill avenues on Aurora's east side because he thought two rival gang members were in the car.
In reality, it was two men out looking to buy some cocaine. Ashley Rowzee, 41, was hit in the left leg, but could not identify his attacker.
It wasn't until years later that another gang member, Ezekiel Rivera, 29, struck a deal with prosecutors to testify in several murder cases and shootings in exchange for a 20-year prison term of which he is only required to serve half.
Torres' girlfriend also testified.
"The fact remains they are eye witness individuals who saw who fired the shots on that morning and why the shots were fired," Assistant State's Attorney William Engerman told jurors in his opening statement. "The other evidence you will hear will corroborate what they had to say."
Prosecutors also presented ballistic evidence from shell casings recovered from the intersection that matched bullets from Torre's gun.
Defense attorney John Paul Carroll questioned Rivera's credibility, saying Rivera admitted in a separate trial that he would lie, cheat, steal and kill to get what he wanted.
The trial was presided over by Judge Karen Simpson.