Villa Park teen memorialized with tree-planting ceremony
A Villa Park teen killed in a hit-and-run crash earlier this year will be remembered Saturday with a tree-planting ceremony near the school where he would have been a senior.
Emilio Perez died March 8, the day after his 17th birthday, when he was struck by a vehicle along westbound I-88 near Joslin.
His aunt, Dolly Alvarez, said Emilio was on his way to visit a cousin at the University of Iowa when his car ran out of gas near mile marker 6. He was struck a half-mile west of his vehicle while walking along the tollway, presumably in search of a gas station.
For months, the family didn't know who was responsible for Emilio's death. Police asked for the public's help in finding the driver of a SUV they suspected hit Emilio. His father paid for several billboards that described the vehicle and offered an award for information.
Alvarez said Emilio's father also made trips out to the area where Emilio died nearly every weekend following Emilio's death to pass out fliers and knock on doors to tell people about what happened.
"There was a lot of outpouring of love," she said. "Everywhere we went, everybody knew about the incident, everyone was so welcoming and sympathetic."
Last month, after forensic evidence provided police with a better description of the vehicle, Maria E. Romero, 41, of Rockford, was arrested and charged with two felonies - leaving the scene of an accident involving a death and failure to report an accident causing a death in connection with the crash - according to an Illinois State Police news release.
On Sept. 16, Romero pleaded not guilty and was released on bond, according to a spokeswoman for the Rock Island County Circuit Court's Office. She is due back in court Oct. 24.
"We're kind of bittersweet," Alvarez said, adding that the family has felt some relief now that Romero has been identified. "Now we're just focusing on celebrating his life and making something good out of it."
The tree-planting ceremony is scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday at Willowbrook Park, across from the teacher's lot at Willowbrook High School, near the intersection of Highland Road and Ardmore Avenue in Villa Park.
Earlier this year, the family installed a bench in the park with a plaque that includes Emilio's name and the words "Warrior Strong," in reference to the school's mascot.
At the ceremony, a priest will lead a prayer, Emilio's father will make some remarks and his family will announce plans for a 5K run they hope to host next spring. Funds raised at the 5K will go toward a scholarship for Willowbrook students that will be awarded in Emilio's name.
The family wants the ceremony to be about remembering Emilio in a good light, instead of "dwelling on the accident," Alvarez said.
"He was a very kind, loving kid," she said. "At his funeral there were so many young people that came and told stories about Emilio that just showed how much he cared about people."