Aurora woman stabbed to death at Carpentersville birthday party

A Carpentersville woman is charged with the weekend stabbing death of a 20-year-old Aurora woman who was a guest at her 19th birthday party.

Kassandra Caceres was pronounced dead at Sherman Hospital in Elgin after having been stabbed in the back at least once with a knife, Sgt. Todd Shaver said.

Jacqueline S. Loyola, of the 2100 block of Tepee Avenue, was behind bars, charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Kane County Judge Bruce W. Lester set her bond Monday morning at $1 million. Loyola turns 19 today.

Police said alcohol was served at the 12-person party and that Loyola had been drinking but wasn't drunk.

Loyola lives with her parents and siblings. A woman who answered the phone Monday afternoon said she was calling a lawyer and hung up.

Police say Loyola was throwing the party for herself and that Caceres arrived with a group of between six and seven other people who initially weren't invited but were told they could stay.

Caceres and her group were involved in an argument and were all asked to leave, Shaver said. A physical fight ensued between Caceres and a 16-year-old girl at the house. Police are trying to determine how many others may have been involved in the altercation.

Caceres was stabbed in the back during the fight, Shaver said.

Police said that although there were gang members at the party, the stabbing itself wasn't gang-related.

Someone from the house called police at 1:45 a.m. Sunday, and officers found Caceres unresponsive and partially inside a car parked in the driveway. Partygoers had put her there and had planned on driving her to the hospital when police arrived, Shaver said.

Police officers administered first aid and an ambulance took her to Sherman, where Caceres was pronounced dead.

Her death marks the first homicide for Carpentersville this year, police said.

Aside from several traffic violations, Loyola has no criminal record in Kane County.

According to court records, Caceres had a minor brush with the law in February when she was charged for misdemeanor marijuana possession in Aurora. The case was still pending when she died.

Her autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday morning, according to the Kane County Coroner's Office.

The 16-year-old girl injured in the fight was treated for head wounds at St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates and released Sunday morning, police said.

Loyola's next court date is May 7 at the Kane County Judicial Center.

She faces between 20 and 60 years in prison if found guilty on the murder charges.

• Daily Herald Staff Writer Josh Stockinger contributed to this report.