High School Student Found Beaten And Burned Is Aurora's First Murder Since 2011

By Samantha Abernethy in News on Feb 4, 2013 10:50PM

The body of an 18-year-old high school student was found beaten and burned in a wooded area of Aurora on Sunday, marking the first murder in Aurora in more than a year.

Abigail Villalpando, 18, had been reported missing early Friday morning after she failed to show up to work on Thursday evening. The West Aurora High School student's car was found burning

Juan Garnica Jr., 18, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of arson. He is being held on $5 million bond. Two others were charged in connection to Villalpando's death: Enrique Prado, 19, is charged with arson and concealment of homicide. Jose Becerra, 20, is charged with concealment of a homicide.

The Tribune writes:

Police said the victim met Prado and Garnica Thursday at Prado’s home, and that Garnica hit Villalpando in the head several times with a hammer after Prado left the room. Engerman declined to disclose why VIllalpando went to the house, but police did say she knew Garnica and Prado.

Police say Garnica drove Villalpando's car to a bridge over the railroad tracks at some point on Thursday, then concealed her body in a container in Prado's garage. On Friday, Garnica and Prado allegedly bought a can of gas to set the car on fire, then burned Villalpando's body in a barrel in Prado's house. Becerra reportedly helped dump the body.

While Chicago saw 506 murders in 2012, Illinois' second largest city recorded zero. It had been more than 400 days since the last murder in Aurora.