Rogelio Delarosa Jr., a 34-year-old man from Peoria, IL, was found dead on December 2, 2014, with multiple gunshot wounds behind a home in the 1000 block of Northeast Perry Avenue. Delarosa, who had a history of legal troubles, had moved to Peoria earlier in 2014 to live in a transitional center after serving time for a federal weapons charge. On the day of his death, he left his job during a dinner break and was later found shot.
The investigation revealed that Delarosa was involved in selling a synthetic drug called K2. Tray B. Hargrow, a 24-year-old man, was charged in connection with Delarosa's death. Hargrow, who was staying in a federal halfway house in Peoria at the time, was accused of being legally accountable for the murder, even though prosecutors did not claim he was the one who pulled the trigger. The actual shooter was believed to be another man who had since died and was never charged.
During the trial, prosecutors argued that Hargrow and others knew about Delarosa's involvement in selling K2 and planned to rob him. A blue van, driven by Hargrow and possibly another person, picked up Delarosa from his job and drove him to the area where he was later found shot. The incident was painted as a robbery attempt in which Delarosa fought back and was subsequently shot.
Hargrow eventually pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to 35 years in prison. In addition to the murder charge, prosecutors agreed to drop a separate case in which Hargrow was charged with aggravated battery for allegedly striking another person at the Peoria County Jail. The case remains a tragic example of how involvement in illegal activities can lead to devastating consequences.
