Geneva man sentenced to life in prison for killing girlfriend and her son in 2024

A Geneva man has agreed to a life sentence in exchange for pleading guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in the 2024 stabbing deaths of his girlfriend and her son, authorities announced Wednesday.

Alejandro Cota, 52, of the 2700 block of Emma’s Way, admitted to stabbing Christina Chavira, 47, and her 13-year-old son, D.C., multiple times on Dec. 26, 2024, causing their deaths, according to a news release from the Kane County state’s attorney’s office.

According to prosecutors, the boy suffered 37 stab wounds, including several that penetrated his skull and one that severed his spinal cord.

Geneva police officers responded to the home at about 8 p.m. that night following a domestic violence 911 call. Officers arrived at the scene and forcibly entered the residence after nobody answered the front door.

Prosecutors said that police found Cota and both victims inside. The victims were unresponsive and had suffered multiple stab wounds.

Chavira was treated by medics on site and transported to Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Her son was airlifted to Loyola University Medical Center but succumbed to his wounds and was also pronounced deceased.

“This defendant committed a brutal and senseless act of violence that took the lives of a mother and her young son, leaving an indelible mark on their loved ones and our community,” Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser said in a statement. “With this verdict, we achieve a measure of justice for the victims and their family, and we hold the accused accountable for these horrific crimes.”

Prosecutors previously said that Cota had a criminal history that included entering the U.S. illegally after being deported, as well as domestic battery.

According to court documents filed by prosecutors, Cota also served six years in prison for a 1991 armed robbery in Cook County; was convicted 11 times from 1999 to 2008 for driving with a revoked license; and received probation in Marana, Arizona, in 2012 on charges of harassment by communication and unlawful restraint, in a domestic violence case.

• Staff reporter Susan Sarkauskas contributed to this report.