Shorewood man does not indicate suspect was tortured in armed robbery case

A Shorewood man didn’t testify that he and two of his friends tortured a man for information on a suspected armed robber who raided his home in 2017.

Andres Alonso, 28, of Shorewood, was questioned by attorney Jeff Tomczak at a court hearing Tuesday about his role in tracking down Lavon K. Young, 22, of Plainfield, who has been charged with robbing Alonso at his wife’s home and stealing jewelry, cash and firearms, including an AK-47.

Tomczak, who is representing Young, claimed Alonso, along with Sergio Flores, 31, and Marlon Crosby, 26, obtained information leading to Young’s arrest by luring another suspect, Andres Ochoa, 22, into their car, binding him with duct tape and torturing him.

Tomczak is asking Will County Judge Dave Carlson to suppress evidence in the case against Young as he claims it is tainted, coerced and unreliable.

In his testimony, Alonso said he didn’t know if Crosby choked Ochoa. He also said he didn’t know if Ochoa was taped anywhere else besides his ankles and that none of them threatened to use a drill on Ochoa.

Alonso said he punched Ochoa three times in the face after reading a text message on his phone that seemed to indicate he was involved in the robbery. He said he punched Ochoa out of anger, not to obtain information on the incident.

“My body just took over,” Alonso said.

Alonso, Flores and Crosby have been charged with kidnapping and beating Ochoa. The Will County State’s Attorney’s Office agreed to not use Alonso’s testimony against him in his other case.

Alonso testified he “had a hunch” Ochoa might have been involved in the home invasion in 2017.

Alonso said three men masked with T-shirts broke into his wife’s home while he and his family were asleep. He said he could only see the eyes of the intruders but he noticed one had a facial tattoo similar to Young’s.

After the robbery, Alonso, Flores and Crosby went to find Ochoa because Alonso was suspicious of him. Alonso testified Ochoa was invited into their car, the three men kept questioning him about the robbery and they drove to Menards to pick up duct tape that was used on him.

“I just wanted to put some fear into him,” Alonso said.

Alonso said he was driving the car and he remembered Crosby binding Ochoa’s ankles with duct tape, but he was unbound once he started talking.

He testified he knew nothing of Flores or Crosby hitting or choking Ochoa, and that he heard no screams.

Carlson scheduled the hearing to continue Monday.