Joliet man found guilty of murdering 23-year-old neighbor

January 16

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced that a Joliet man has been found guilty of first-degree murder in the 2006 death of his neighbor, 23-year-old Regina Delosantos.

Hugo Sanchez, 23, of 503 Krakar Ave, broke into Regina Delosantos’ home on Sept. 9, 2006 and brutally strangled and stabbed her to death while her husband was at work.

Bruises found on the victim’s body and scratches on the defendant’s arms show that Delosantos fought for her life before she was strangled with her own shirt and stabbed five times in the face and neck with a knife from her own kitchen. 

The jury deliberated for an hour before finding Sanchez guilty. He faces up to 60 years in prison when he is sentenced by Circuit Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak on March 27.

DNA evidence retrieved from under Delosantos’ fingernails conclusively linked Sanchez to the murder scene. Sanchez, who lived across the street from the victim, also had scratches on his arms from struggling with Delosantos.

Additional DNA evidence retrieved from the crime scene shows that a second individual was present during the murder. The second individual, who sexually assaulted Delosantos, has not yet been identified. The attackers also stole her wallet that contained $100.

“Hugo Sanchez committed an act of unspeakable brutality against a woman who tried in vain to fight off her attackers,” State’s Attorney Glasgow said. “Her life ended in a nightmare of pain and fear. But her final struggle left police and prosecutors with the physical evidence they needed to take this monster off our streets.”

Glasgow applauded Assistant State’s Attorneys Michael Fitzgerald and Nicole Moore, for their top-notch prosecution. He also credited the thorough investigation conducted by the Joliet Police Department with bringing this dangerous murderer to justice.