Hoffman Estates man held without bail on home invasion, sexual assault charges

A Hoffman Estates man was ordered held without bail Tuesday after authorities say he followed a woman into her home, sexually assaulted her and then threatened her and her daughter.

Kevin Ariel Hernandez Lucero, 24, is charged with home invasion, four counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated unlawful restraint. If convicted of the multiple sexual assault charges, he faces from 30 to 150 years in prison, prosecutors said.

The woman, who lives in the same apartment complex but does not know Lucero, arrived home carrying her sleeping daughter at about 11 p.m. Sunday, said Assistant Cook County State's Attorney Kristina Modesto. After setting her daughter down, the woman went to lock the door, which Lucero forced open, Modesto said.

Overpowering her, he asked the whereabouts of her husband and ordered her to write her husband's address on a slip of paper, Modesto said.

Armed with a knife he forced the woman to retrieve from the kitchen, Lucero sexually assaulted her and threatened to do the same to her daughter, Modesto said.

After the attack, Lucero "thanked the victim" and ordered her to look at his face and identification card saying "remember me," Modesto said. Taking her photograph, Lucero threatened to have her killed if she called police, Modesto said. Leaving $197, Lucero took a pink sweater the woman had been wearing and left the home, she said.

The woman called police who located the defendant wearing the sweater. From Lucero, they recovered the slip of paper and the photograph, Modesto said, adding that surveillance video showed him trying doorknobs of several apartments.

Lucero next appears in court on April 16.