Joliet man sentenced to 45 years for fatally shooting father who was walking to store with two young sons

in

June 22

Daniel Huizar, 22


JOLIET – A Joliet man today was sentenced to 45 years in prison after being convicted of first-degree murder for shooting a father who was walking with his two young children outside a Joliet store in 2008. 

Daniel Huizar, 22, faced 45 years to life in prison for the murder of Alfredo Lopez, who was walking to a store in the 300 block of East Cass Avenue with his two boys when he was gunned down on April 16, 2008. Circuit Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak sentenced Huizar on Friday.

Huizar was convicted in March 2011 of three counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated discharge of a firearm.

Alfredo Lopez and his two children were in the vicinity of a gang fight between the Latin Kings and the Vice Lords. After the fight concluded, Huizar, who is not an admitted gang member but whose friends were involved in the gang fight, fired three rounds in the direction of his friends’ rivals. One of the bullets struck Mr. Lopez and killed him.

Seven other individuals were charged in connection with the incident. They pleaded guilty to felony charges of aggravated intimidation or intimidation in connection with the gang fight and received sentences of between 10 and 12 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

State’s Attorney James Glasgow thanked his prosecutors, Assistant State’s Attorneys Daniel Walsh, Michael Fitzgerald and James Long, for their hard work and dedication in securing Huizar’s conviction. He also credited the Joliet Police Department for its thorough and aggressive investigation.