Elgin Man Gets 86 Years For Murder, Kidnapping

ELGIN, IL – A 30-year-old Elgin man who fatally shot a man "execution-style" before kidnapping his girlfriend and her 1-year-old child has been sentenced to 86 years in prison, prosecutors said. Kane County Judge John A. Barsanti handed down the sentence for Alberto J. Sepeda on Monday. Sepeda was convicted in May of first-degree murder, home invasion and two counts of aggravated kidnapping in connection with the November 2016 fatal shooting of Norbert Gutierrez, 59, of Elgin.

Prosecutors said Sepeda forced his way into Gutierrez's home in the 800 block of Morgan Street, where his girlfriend and her infant child were staying, at about 4:15 a.m. on Nov. 16, 2016. He was drunk and when he refused to leave, Gutierrez threw him out of the house, according to the news release.

Sepeda, of the 300 block of South Belmont in Elgin, grabbed Gutierrez's shirt as he fell down the front steps to the home, pulling him to the ground. After a brief struggle, Sepeda shot Gutierrez in the chest with a 40-caliber semi-automatic handgun.

He then pressed the barrel of the gun against the top of Gutierrez’s head and fired another round, killing him, prosecutors said.

Family members inside the home bolted the front door shut but Sepeda still managed to force his way back into the home, according to the news release. He forced his girlfriend out of the home at gunpoint and then forced her and her 1-year-old daughter into his car, prosecutors said.

He led authorities on a 2.5-mile chase, which, at one point reached 90 mph, before his car broke down in the 1100 block of Oakley Avenue in Elgin. Police were then able to take Sepeda into custody.

On Monday, Sepeda was sentenced to 65 years in prison for the first-degree murder conviction and is required under Illinois law to serve that entire sentence. He was sentenced to 21 additional years for the aggravated and home invasion convictions. He must serve 85 percent of that sentence.

“Mr. Sepeda is a violent person who committed a brutal, senseless crime and tried to excuse his behavior by claiming he acted in self-defense. Although justice has been served, unfortunately, justice does not mean that Norbert Gutierrez’s friends and loved ones will see him again. Still, I hope this sentence provides a sense of peace to them," Kane County State’s Attorney Joe McMahon said in a statement Monday. “I also hope that this violent crime, which is rooted in domestic violence, helps all in the community to understand to the importance of recognizing the seriousness of domestic violence."

Photo via the Kane County State's Attorney's Office