Bond set at $10 million in Hanover Park murder

A Cook County judge Friday set bond at $10 million for Rafael Alvarado, charged with first-degree murder and the intentional homicide of an unborn child in the death of his girlfriend Norma Favela, 31, who was seven to eight months pregnant.

Favela was killed early Thursday in the Hanover Park home she shared with Alvarado. Favela's daughters, ages 2 and 10, also lived at the home in the 1700 block of Linden Avenue, but were not injured.

Prosecutors asked Judge Kay Hanlon to impose a substantial bond on the 32-year-old man, whose criminal background includes convictions for aggravated DUI, driving with a suspended or revoked license and other traffic violations, probation violations and several bond forfeiture warrants in Cook and DuPage counties. He was also sentenced to 41 months in federal prison in 2002 for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. Alvarado will have to come up with $1 million to be released from Cook County Jail.

Jealousy motivated Alvarado's attack on Favela, who he believed had been cheating on him with a neighbor, said Assistant State's Attorney Shilpa Patel who related the grim details of the murders during Friday's hearing in Rolling Meadows.

Alvarado struck Favela in the head with a hammer while Favela's two-year-old lay sleeping beside her, Patel said. At some point, the toddler awoke and began to cry. Alvarado carried the girl to another room, then returned to Favela's bedroom and resumed beating her in the head, Patel said.

Following the murder, the defendant offered money to a neighbor to "drive him to the border," Patel said. The neighbor declined, but agreed to drive Alvarado to a friend's house in Melrose Park where Alvarado showered and changed clothes and asked a second person to drive him to the border, Patel said. Hanover Park police arrested Alvarado as he and another person were backing a car out of the garage of the Melrose Park home.

Prosecutors say Alvarado admitted killing Favela to four people. He also made a videotaped statement admitting the murder, Patel said. Police recovered the murder weapon along with Alvarado's bloody clothing.

Alvarado appeared at the bond hearing barefoot and wearing a white jumpsuit suppled by police. He has lived in Hanover Park for 15 years and is a U.S. citizen, said Assistant Public Defender Salvatore Spaccaferro who represented Alvarado at the bond hearing.

The state does not intend to prosecute anyone but Alvarado, said Assistant State's Attorney David Weiner, deputy supervisor for Rolling Meadows' Third Municipal District.

If convicted, Alvarado faces 20 to 60 years in prison. The law does not include the intentional homicide of an unborn child as a capital offense, so the death penalty will not apply in this case, said Weiner.

Alvarado next appears in court July 1.

• Daily Herald staff writer Jake Griffin contributed to this report.