Leader in Elgin kidnapping, cigarette tattoo torture gets 16½ years in prison
A 20-year-old who authorities said led a scheme in which a teen was kidnapped in Elgin and held overnight while cigarettes were used to burn her shoulder tattoo pleaded guilty Wednesday and was sentenced to 16½ years in prison in four separate cases.
Luis M. Palomar, of Lake in the Hills, and others were charged with forcibly kidnapping an 18-year-old from the 500 block of Levine Court in Elgin the night of Feb. 26, 2016, taking her to a residence on the 300 block of Raymond Street, authorities said.
According to a police affidavit used to secure a search warrant, the group forced the teen, who was Palomar's ex-girlfriend, to strip, then took her phone, tied her to a chair and repeatedly beat her and burned one of her shoulder tattoos that matched Palomar's.
They then forced her to shower because she had bled on a carpet, according to the affidavit.
The Belvidere teen was found the next day after someone called police to report a person being held against her will.
In a plea agreement, Palomar pleaded guilty to home invasion and was sentenced to 11½ years in prison in exchange for other charges, such as kidnapping and aggravated battery, being dismissed by Kane County prosecutors. Home invasion carries a top punishment of 30 years in prison.
Palomar also pleaded guilty in three other cases. He got four years in prison for two crimes that were committed while he was free on bond in the summer of 2016: a felony burglary in Carpentersville, and possession of cocaine with intent to deliver from an Elgin arrest, prosecutors said.
He got a year in prison for mob action from a fight at the Kane County jail in early March 2018.
These sentences will be served consecutive to the 11½ years on the kidnapping case for a total of 16½ years, prosecutors said. Under state law, Palomar can have his entire prison sentence cut in half for good behavior.
He also gets credit for 704 days served at the Kane County jail. A message left for his defense attorney, Alison Motta, was not immediately returned.
Palomar's plea means only one defendant remains from the case. Kassandra Delgado, 23, and Ruby M. Gomez, 22, both of Elgin, pleaded guilty earlier this year and were sentenced to 9 and 10 years in prison, respectively.
Gino A. Moraca, 26, of Elgin, pleaded guilty to felony unlawful restraint and was sentenced to two years in prison. Prosecutors dismissed the kidnapping charges on the condition that he testify against other defendants in the kidnapping case.
Megan A. Lino, 21, of Carpentersville, is free on bond and is next due in court on July 13, when her defense attorney will argue to have her statements to police banned from court.
If convicted of the most severe charge, Lino faces six to 30 years in prison with no possibility of probation.