A jury on Wednesday night found a 20-year-old St. Charles man guilty of weapons charges related to a July incident where he pointed a gun at an Aurora police officer.
Erik Esparza was convicted of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, possession of a weapon by a gang member and aggravated assault to conclude his trial that began Monday. He faces a minimum of three years in prison at sentencing, which is scheduled for March 18.
According to authorities, Esparza and a second man, 23-year-old Rene Muro, were spotted by undercover police the evening of July 15 after they got out of a suspicious vehicle near Pearl Street and Parker Avenue. The officers, members of the Aurora police Special Operations Group, saw the pair walking between homes and confronted them.
Prosecutors said Esparza pointed a .45-caliber handgun directly at one of the Aurora officers, which prompted the officer to fire two shots in the direction of Esparza and Muro, but not hitting either man. The pair ran away, with Esparza located by police 90 minutes later hiding between garages in the neighborhood.
Police said they recovered two handguns during an investigation. Both men are documented gang members with previous criminal histories, court documents show.
Muro remains in Kane County Jail with bond set at $500,000. His next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 11.
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Dan Campana is a freelance writer for The Beacon-News