A Melrose Park man accused of opening fire on another automobile following a traffic altercation in the fall of 2017 has been sentenced to 18 years in prison.

Angelo Navarro, 31, appeared at his sentencing hearing Tuesday afternoon following a three-day-long bench trial in front of Judge Daniel Guerin, which concluded on Sept. 11, 2025.

Following the trial, Guerin found Navarro guilty of one count of aggravated battery with a firearm and one count of aggravated discharge of a firearm, according to a DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office news release.

About 2 p.m. on Oct. 28, 2017, Elmhurst Police responded to a crash near York Road and Diversey Avenue.

Officers found only one vehicle with a shattered driver’s side window. They also found the driver of the vehicle outside of the car bleeding from his face. He was transported to the hospital where he underwent surgery for his injuries.

The victim had been shot in the left cheek with the bullet exiting through his right cheek. Following an investigation, authorities learned that Navarro and the victim were waiting at an intersection to turn left with Navarro in front of the victim, authorities said.

The victim went around Navarro at the intersection and proceeded to drive away at which time Navarro followed and began tailgating him.

Navarro pulled his vehicle into the oncoming traffic lane next to the driver’s side of the victim’s car and fired his gun at the victim’s car through the front passenger side of his vehicle, striking the victim in the face, authorities said.

On Oct. 6, 2020, a jury found Navarro guilty of aggravated battery with a firearm, aggravated discharge of a firearm and reckless discharge. But about a month later, he was granted a new trial based upon the jury verdicts being legally inconsistent.

“Mr. Navarro’s incredible display of complete disregard for public safety will cost him 18 years of his life behind bars,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in the release. “In addition to shooting at another motorist, his actions not only endangered the life of the passengers in his vehicle, but also the lives of the motoring public.”

Navarro will be required to serve 85% of his sentence before being eligible for parole.