Man Pleads Guilty in Montgomery Kidnapping Case

An Aurora man will go to prison after he pleaded guilty to his role kidnapping a Montgomery business executive two years ago.

Santiago C. Lopez, 19, of the 500 block of South Lincoln Avenue, Aurora, last week agreed with the Kane County State’s Attorney to a sentence of nine years in the Illinois Department of Corrections in exchange for a guilty plea to one count of aggravated kidnapping, a Class X felony.

Associate Judge Marmarie J. Kostelny accepted the plea.

At about 7 p.m. Dec. 7, 2010, Lopez and co-defendants William Ayala, 28, Sergio Garcia-Garcia, 20 and a juvenile drove a white panel van to a business in the 2100 block of Rochester Drive, Montgomery, and waited for an executive of the business to emerge.

When he did, the men accosted him, bound his hands, put a pillowcase over his head and put him in the van. The victim was driven to a residence in the 1500 block of block of Solfisburg Avenue, Aurora, where he was held overnight. The next morning, he was driven to the area of Commons Drive and Liberty Street in Aurora where he was released.

The investigation revealed that Ayala was an employee at the victim’s business, that the plan was to hold victim for ransom and that Hugo Argueta, 22, of the 700 block of Sherwood Drive, Aurora, also was involved in the kidnapping, according to the Kane County State's Attorney's office.

According to Illinois law, Lopez must serve at least 85 percent of the sentence. He was given credit for 672 days served in the Kane County jail.

On Jan. 26, 2012, Garcia-Garcia agreed with the Kane County State’s Attorney to a sentence of eight years in the Illinois Department of Corrections in exchange for a guilty plea to one count of aggravated kidnapping, a Class X felony.

Argueta is charged with three counts of aggravated kidnapping, each a Class X felony, and one count of residential arson, a Class 1 felony. His next court appearance is set for 9 a.m. Dec. 13, 2012, in Courtroom 305.

The juvenile’s case is pending in juvenile court.

Ayala is charged with three counts of aggravated kidnapping, each a Class X felony, and one count of residential arson, a Class 1 felony.  His whereabouts are unknown. Anyone with information about Ayala should call the Montgomery Police Department.

This news release provided by the Kane County Sheriff's office.