Aurora man sentenced in absentia to life in prison for sexually assaulting two children
An Aurora man has been sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting and abusing two children he knew.
Kane County Judge Salvatore LoPiccolo pronounced the sentence Friday for Jose Arellano, 47, of the 500 block of Morton Avenue.
In September, a jury convicted Arellano of four counts of predatory criminal sexual assault and four counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
Arellano did not attend his trial or his sentencing.
Prosecutors alleged that from September 2010 to May 2020, he assaulted the children who were younger than 13 years old. The charges were filed in May 2020.
He was released from jail in July 2020 after posting $30,000 bail. He was last seen on Dec. 8, 2021, when he attended a court hearing online.
Arellano did not appear for his subsequent court date in March, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Anyone with information about Arellano is asked to call the Kane County Child Advocacy Center at (630) 208-5160 or to call 911.
"This defendant has been a fugitive from justice for close to a year," Kane County Assistant State's Attorney Stacey Wittman said in a news release. "He had the opportunity to challenge the evidence against him, as well as his accusers.
"Instead, he chose to run and hide," Wittman said. "That seems to speak volumes about his character, a far cry from his victims, who were bravely prepared to face him in court."