Search warrant: Elgin homicide victim was stabbed 14 times over affair
A man found bleeding in an Elgin parking lot in August - who later became the city's first homicide victim of 2017 - was stabbed 14 times after being pulled from the back seat of a car while getting "intimate" with a woman, according to a recently unsealed search warrant.
Four people have been arrested and charged with the slaying of Bayron Cruz-Garcia, 26, of South Elgin, including a man who had children with the woman who was seeing Cruz-Garcia, records show.
Cruz-Garcia was found shirtless and mortally wounded in a parking lot on the 1100 block of Jansen Farm Court around 1:55 a.m. Aug. 12, according to court records.
At the time of his death, authorities said the slaying appeared to be domestic. A recently unsealed police affidavit used to secure a search warrant for an Elgin residence sheds more light on what happened.
According to the affidavit, Cruz-Garcia, who was married, and the 41-year-old woman he was having an affair with texted that morning for "coffee."
The two met about 1:30 a.m. on Jansen Farm Court and got into the back seat of her vehicle to get "intimate."
"After approximately 13 minutes, Cruz and (the woman) were interrupted by three subjects who opened up the back door to the vehicle. The three subject(s) pulled Cruz out of the vehicle and began to beat and kick him," according to the affidavit.
During the beating, one of the men said something to the effect of "so you won't forget" and mentioned the name of another woman Cruz may have had an affair with, according to the affidavit.
All three attackers ran from the scene and the woman called police. Cruz died at Advocate Sherman Hospital.
Police used surveillance video from a nearby business to watch part of the attack and gather information on a suspect vehicle, which later was observed near the scene, according to the affidavit.
Police arrested three suspects days after Cruz's death: Carlos F. Lopez, 29, and Ivette Rodriguez, 20, both of Carpentersville, and Gabriel M. Lopez, 26, of Elgin. In mid-September, authorities arrested Michael A. Giacomino, 31, of Elgin.
Carlos Lopez has children with the woman who Cruz was seeing. The woman has not been charged and told police she went home after Cruz was attacked, according to the affidavit.
Shortly after she arrived home, Lopez showed up and seemed "upset." He took a shower while his phone charged and then left.
Police later obtained a search warrant to check for clothing from the attack or trace blood and DNA, records show.
Elgin police Cmdr. Al Young said authorities are not searching for any more suspects in the case.
Gabriel Lopez is next due in court Jan. 11. Giacomino, Rodriguez and Carlos Lopez are due in court on Feb. 8.
All four are being held at the Kane County jail on bail amounts ranging from $1 million to $3 million. First-degree murder carries a prison term of 20 to 60 years with no chance of early release.