Aurora man sentenced to 20-year jail term in 2019 Montgomery restaurant shooting

An Aurora man has been sentenced to a 20-year prison term in connection with a shooting at a Montgomery restaurant/bar in 2019 in which two people were injured.

Judge Robert Pilmer sentenced Josua Matias, 25, of the 400 block of Marion Avenue, in Kendall County court Dec. 9, according to a statement released Monday, Dec. 12, by Kendall County State’s Attorney Eric Weis.

Agents for the U.S. Marshals Service Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested Matias in St. Charles on Jan. 16, 2019. Matias had been wanted on a Kendall County warrant, secured by Montgomery police.

At the time of his arrest Matias was charged with armed habitual criminal, two counts of aggravated battery with a firearm, aggravated discharge of a firearm, and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon.

Matias entered guilty pleas April 13 to the armed habitual criminal and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon charges.

On Sept. 22 a jury found Matias guilty of the two aggravated battery with a firearm charges and the aggravated discharge of a firearm charge.

Weis said the event that led to Matias’ arrest and conviction occurred January 6, 2019 when he walked into a crowded restaurant/bar in Montgomery with a loaded handgun. While inside the business, Matias became involved in an argument with another patron who was known to him. The other patron struck Matias, which caused a fight among approximately 10 people in the business.

Weis said during the fight, Matias took out the handgun from his waistband and made his way toward the front door. As he was moving toward the front door, with no threat approaching him, he fired at least seven shots into the crowd, striking two people, including the man that struck him, who was shot in the leg. The other victim, a woman, was shot in the arm. Matias then fled the restaurant/bar and was arrested ten days later in St. Charles.

The female victim required a tourniquet on the scene due to the amount of bleeding and both victims were transported to the hospital for treatment of their injuries. The entire incident was captured on the security video system.

Weis praised the work of the Montgomery Police Department and the Kendall County Major Crimes Task Force for quickly responding to and thoroughly investigating the crime.

Weis also commended First Assistant Mark Shlifka and Assistant State’s Attorney Ryan Phelps for securing the guilty pleas, the jury verdicts and the lengthy prison sentence.

“This is an example of how some offenders are not capable of rehabilitation,” Weis said, adding, “Matias, a previously convicted felon, had no legal right to even possess a firearm because of his felony convictions. Yet, he not only carried one into a business, he shot two people in the process. Everyone deserves to feel safe in this community. Hopefully, this verdict and sentence will serve as a reminder that there are severe consequences for this type of conduct.”