Alselmo V. Fernandez, a 57-year-old Hispanic male, tragically lost his life on March 10, 2017, in Aurora, Illinois. Fernandez was one of the victims in a triple shooting that occurred outside a restaurant/bar in the 700 block of South Lincoln Avenue. The incident, which took place just before 1 a.m., also claimed the life of 35-year-old Jermaine P. Taylor and left a third 37-year-old man with non-life-threatening injuries.
The two assailants, described as a medium-to-large-build male Hispanic and another thin-build male black or Hispanic, reportedly committed the shooting on foot before fleeing the scene. The police indicated that the shooting did not appear to be a random act, suggesting that at least one of the victims had been targeted.
The investigation into the deaths of Alselmo V. Fernandez and Jermaine P. Taylor led to the arrest and conviction of Serafin Castellanos, a 42-year-old man from Oswego. Castellanos was found guilty of fatally shooting Taylor and Fernandez as they were leaving La Flama de Oro restaurant and bar. According to officials, Castellanos approached Taylor and fired a single shot into his torso before fleeing on foot. As he ran away, he fired eight more shots in the direction of the restaurant door, striking Fernandez. Both Taylor and Fernandez were pronounced dead shortly after the shooting at a nearby hospital. A third victim survived but sustained a permanent eye injury.
The case against Castellanos was built over ten months, culminating in his arrest and subsequent conviction. The Kane County Assistant State’s Attorneys emphasized that this act of violence was indiscriminate and intolerable. Castellanos faced a mandatory life sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections due to his conviction for the murders of two individuals. The community and law enforcement officials expressed their commitment to ensuring that such acts of violence would not be tolerated.
