Convicted Murderer Gets 22 Years for Crime Spree

A Kendall County man has been sentenced to prison for trying to kill a man he robbed five years ago as part of a multi-county crime spree that ended with a murder in LaSalle County, according to a press release from the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Luis A. Lomeli, 40, of the 12800 block of Route 34, Plano, and formerly of Aurora, was sentenced Wednesday, March 23, by Circuit Judge James C. Hallock to 22 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Lomeli was convicted Feb. 4 by a Kane County jury of attempted first-degree murder, a class X felony, armed violence, a class X felony, and armed robbery, a class X felony, according to the release.

Prosecutors presented evidence that on May 1, 2011, Lomeli, his girlfriend, and two co-defendants, were at a relative’s home in Ottawa, Ill., and decided they wanted to consume alcohol and drugs, but had no money, according to the release. Lomeli, who originally was from Aurora, concocted a plan to drive to Aurora and rob someone.

The four drove in a borrowed car to a bar in the 1400 block of East New York Street, where Lomeli’s girlfriend was to entice a patron outside so the three co-defendants could rob him, the release said.

When the girlfriend did not immediately return, Lomeli grew impatient and decided to rob a man who left the bar and just entered his car, which was parked near Lomeli’s borrowed car. Lomeli approached the victim and asked for a light for a cigarette, and then started to punch the victim.

The co-defendants came over and joined in, according to the release. They took his money and then Lomeli held down the victim as one of the co-defendants stabbed the victim in the back 13 times with a knife, the release said. Security from the bar came outside and the defendants fled, leaving the girlfriend behind in the bar.

The defendants went to the nearby home of a Lomeli relative to clean up. They then purchased drugs with the money they stole, and drove to a home of an acquaintance in Montgomery with the intent of robbing another victim, according to the release. They forced entry into the home, but were unable to obtain money from the homeowner and then fled back to Ottawa. In Ottawa they purchased more drugs, and then beat to death the person who sold them the drugs, the release said.

The 22-year sentence is to be served consecutive to the 45-year sentence Lomeli received for his first-degree murder conviction in LaSalle County.

According to Illinois law, Lomeli must serve at least 85 percent of the sentence. He received credit for 989 days served in the Kane County jail.

“Mr. Lomeli’s crimes were violent, unprovoked and random. He committed these crimes because he chose to place more importance on taking drugs than he did in the lives of other people. His poor choices and the ruined lives he left in the wake of these choices mean he most likely will spend the rest of his life in prison, a predictable outcome,” Kane County State’s Attorney Joe McMahon said.

The case was prosecuted by the team of Kane County Assistant State’s Attorneys Bill Engerman, Sal LoPiccolo and Dan Weiler.