Aurora Child Sex Abuser Still At Large, Gets Life Sentence

AURORA, IL — An Aurora man whose whereabouts are unknown was sentenced to life in prison after he was found guilty of sexual assault, officials said Monday.

In September, José Arellano, of the 500 block of Morton Avenue, was found guilty of four counts of predatory criminal sexual assault and four counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. The 47-year-old, who did not appear Nov. 18 in court for motions and sentencing, remains wanted on a warrant.

The man's sentence came after prosecutors determined he assaulted two victims under the age of 13 between September 2010 and May 2020, according to the Kane County State's Attorney's Office.

Arellano's location has been unknown since he posted a $30,000 bond on July 6, 2020. He was last seen Dec. 8, 2021, when he appeared remotely for a hearing, Patch reported. When he failed to appear for his hearing March 29, 2022, Judge Salvatore LoPiccolo issued a warrant for his arrest,

"This defendant has been a fugitive from justice for close to a year," Assistant State's Attorney Stacey Wittman said in a statement. "He had the opportunity to challenge the evidence against him, as well as his accusers. Instead, he chose to run and hide. That seems to speak volumes about his character, a far cry from his victims, who were bravely prepared to face him in court."

Anyone with information about Arellano is asked to call 911 or the Kane County Child Advocacy Center at 630-208-5160.