Gang Member Gets Nine Years in Prison for Pulling Gun on Cops

Follow Aurora Patch on Facebook - Sign up for Aurora Patch newsletters and breaking news alerts

AURORA, IL - A 20-year-old St. Charles man has been sentenced to nine years in prison for unlawfully possessing a handgun and pointing it at an Aurora police officer in the summer of 2015, according to the Kane County State's Attorney's Office press release.

Erik J. Esparza, of the 3N block of East Mary Lane in St. Charles, was sentenced late Friday after a Kane County jury found him guilty in February of unlawful possession of a firearm by a street gang member, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and aggravated assault, according to the news release. He faced between three to 10 years in prison.

Esparza, a known street gang member in Aurora, was also ordered to serve 14 days for contempt of court for failing to obey a court order to provide a DNA sample.

Prosecutors presented evidence at the trial that showed at about 7:20 p.m. on July 11, 2015, two undercover Aurora police officers inside an unmarked police car in the area of Parker Avenue and Pearl Street on Aurora’s near east side saw Esparza and 23-year-old Rene Muro, of the 300 block of Beach Street, ”acting suspiciously,” according to a Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office news release.

As the undercover vehicle approached the two to investigate, prosecutors said Esparza raised a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun and pointed it directly at one of the officers. That is when the officer fired two shots but missed both Esparza and Muro, who prosecutors said is also a known gang member.

Esparza and Muro allegedly fled and Muro was captured not far from the scene. Police found Esparza about 1.5 hours later lying in weeds between two garages in the 300 block of East Ashland Avenue, prosecutors said.

Muro’s case is pending, prosecutors said.

>>> Gang Member Convicted of Pulling Gun on Aurora Cops