Man pleads guilty to armed violence in double-fatal Elgin shooting

An Elgin man charged with murdering two people in 2021 has pleaded guilty to armed violence.

Joaquin Lopez-Villagomez, 35, agreed to a sentence of 30 years in prison, in a plea agreement made Nov. 6.

He was originally charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, home invasion, unlawful restraint, armed violence and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, for the Oct. 25, 2021, killing of Francisco Reyes-Hernandez and Ricardo Sanchez.

The shooting happened in an apartment in the 200 block of North Jackson Street, Elgin. Prosecutors alleged that Lopez-Villagomez and two other masked men entered the apartment and demanded money.

The men tried to kick down a bedroom door, and when they could not do so, one of them fired shots at it. The bullets went through the door and struck Sanchez and Reyes-Hernandez.

A surviving victim recognized Lopez-Villagomez, who had once lived in the building, a prosecutor said.

The other two men have not been arrested.