Aurora man sentenced in killing of sleeping 6-year-old boy

An Aurora man convicted of ordering a gang hit that ended in the shooting death of a 6-year-old boy was sentenced Wednesday to 60 years in prison.

Elias R. Diaz, 39, was sentenced by Kane County Judge Timothy Q. Sheldon, who convicted him April 18 of first-degree murder in the cold-case killing of Nicholas "Nico" Contreras.

On Nov. 10, 1996, Diaz drove with two passengers to a residence on Aurora's near east side with the intent of shooting a rival gang member, prosecutors said. But Contreras, who was sleeping where Diaz believed the rival gang member to be, was shot twice in the back and died, according to the state's attorney's office.

The murder remained unsolved for more than a decade. Diaz was taken into custody in late 2006 and, by statute, must serve at least half of the 60-year prison term.

"Thirty years is a long time," said Nico's mother, Sandra. "It was justified, the time the judge gave him."

Javier Contreras, the boy's father, said the sentence provided some closure to his family as well as Nico's friends, many of whom are going to graduate high school now.

"Hopefully (Diaz) will learn from the mistakes he made because by the time he gets out he'll be an old man and he'll realize what he took from us," Javier Contreras said.

In handing down the sentence, Sheldon noted Diaz had prior convictions for drugs and weapons charges.

"Gangs and drugs are a scourge on society," Sheldon said.

"Today is not the end of the long hellish road that Sandy and her family have be traveling for more than 12 years seeking justice for Nico, but today's verdict might put that end in sight," Aurora Police Chief Gregory Thomas said in a statement.

Co-defendant Mark A. Downs remains in Kane County Jail on $1 million bail. He has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the case. His trial is set to begin Monday.