Kidnappers tortured teen by burning tattoo with cigarettes, police say
A 19-year-old who was kidnapped in Elgin last month was forced to strip while her assailants beat her and used cigarettes to repeatedly burn her tattoo - one of a matching pair she and her ex-boyfriend had gotten, Kane County court records show.
An Elgin police detective wrote of "a particular concentration of burns to a tattoo on (the teen's) right shoulder" in an affidavit used to secure a search warrant of an apartment on the 500 block of Raymond Street, where police say the victim was found Feb. 27 after being repeatedly assaulted overnight.
The ex-boyfriend is still at large and wanted in connection with the kidnapping and assault, as is his newer girlfriend.
The affidavit suggests bad blood between her and the victim, who invited her ex-boyfriend to a tattoo party after hearing he and the new girlfriend had broken up. But when arrived, three females accompanying him dragged the victim from the home and drove her to another apartment, where she was subjected to an evening of beatings and cigarette burns apparently aimed at disfiguring her tattoo, records say.
The latest arrest - the third - is of Kassandra Delgado, 20, of the 500 block of Levine Court, Elgin. She was arrested about 8:45 p.m. Sunday and faces felony charges of home invasion, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated battery. Delgado's bail was set Monday at $150,000. She would have to post $15,000 to be released from the Kane County jail while the charges are pending.
Also charged are Megan A. Lino, 19, of Carpentersville, and Ruby M. Gomez, 20, of Elgin, who are being held on $150,000 and $350,000 bail, respectively.
After inviting her ex-boyfriend to the tattoo party, the victim offered to pay for a new one for him, the affidavit said. But when he arrived, the three suspects forced the victim to an apartment on the 300 block of Levine Court, where she was forced to strip, according to the affidavit.
"The three females continued to beat, kick, punch and use cigarettes to burn (the victim) throughout the night," it said.
"At one point, her assailants instructed her to shower and attempt to clean up. (The victim) stated she knew she was bleeding onto the carpet from both the cigarette burns and the punching and kicking," according to the affidavit.
The victim said her attackers took her purse, cellphone, wallet and clothing. After the beatings stopped, she was given a blanket to wear, the affidavit said.
Police seized two towels containing suspected blood, four cigarette butts, three glass smoking pipes, a bong and a blood-covered blanket, according to the warrant.
If convicted of the most severe charges, all three defendants face between six and 30 years in prison and each would have to serve 85 percent of the sentence.
Delgado was free on a recognizance bond on a felony theft charge from Feb. 10, court records show. She was due in court Thursday but never showed up, prompting an arrest warrant to be issued.
Gomez, of the 100 block of South Clifton Avenue, was charged with misdemeanor battery in May 2014 and pleaded guilty the next month. She was fined $500 and given court supervision, which prosecutors have moved to revoke, records show.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the Elgin Police Major Investigations Unit at (847) 289-2600. People can provide an anonymous tip at (847) 695-4195 or text 847411 with "ELGINPD" in the beginning of the text along with a message and/or information.