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Northlake man gets life in prison for Addison stick-up

A Northlake man was sentenced to life in prison this morning following his conviction in a 2011 armed robbery in Addison.

A DuPage County jury in December found Luis Moreta, 43, guilty of robbing at gunpoint three men who had responded to a Craigslist ad to buy a motorcycle.

"Just because the victims didn't have busted bones or their blood spilled on the ground doesn't mean they didn't suffer mental injuries after having a gun pointed at their heads and being told they would be killed," Assistant State's Attorney Steve Knight, deputy chief of the special prosecutors' unit, said during the sentencing hearing. "Due to this crime and his criminal history, the defendant has earned the right to be warehoused in our prison system until the end of his natural life. "

Prosecutors alleged Moreta, along with Victor Arroyo and Christian Ross-Emerson, concocted a scheme in November 2011 to post a false ad on Craigslist offering a black Suzuki GSXR motorcycle for $4,500.

Samuel Ortiz of Chicago quickly responded to the ad, negotiated a cash price of $3,700 and agreed to pick up the motorcycle in Addison.

Ortiz's lifelong friend, Aldwin Caraballo of Melrose Park, testified during the trial that Ortiz called him on the evening of Dec. 2, 2011, and asked to borrow his truck to pick up the motorcycle. Caraballo agreed and he, Ortiz and another man drove separate cars to inspect and purchase the motorcycle.

Caraballo said when they arrived at the apartment complex at 603 Meadow Blvd., they met Ross-Emerson, the man Ortiz had been talking to about the bike.

As they approached the van, he said, two additional men armed with guns and with their faces covered surrounded the men and demanded their money, keys, wallets and cellphones.

Moreta, already convicted of two previous Class X felonies, was driving the van and was one of the armed, masked men, prosecutors said at trial. Evidence, including cellphone records and testimony from both Arroyo and Emerson, was enough to convict Moreta of his third Class X felony, forcing a mandatory life sentence.

Arroyo has pleaded guilty to armed robbery and was sentenced to 17 years in prison. Emerson pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery in November 2012 and was sentenced to eight years in prison.

Northlake man faces life in prison in Addison robbery

Northlake man guilty in 2011 Craigslist robbery in Addison

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