Father accused of hiding bodies of Savanah Soto and Matthew Guerra to start trial in May
During Guilty verdict for Christopher Preciado While it may have brought closure to the families of Savanah Soto and Matthew Guerra, it’s not over yet, as Preciado’s father, Ramon Preciado, is expected to go to trial this spring.
Ramon Preciado, 55, is charged with abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence in the deaths of Soto, 18, and Guerra, 22. His trial is scheduled to begin on May 11.
Tampering with evidence is a second-degree crime punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison. Mistreating a corpse is a crime punishable by six months to two years in state prison.
He is represented by attorneys John Kuntz and Ernest Acevedo.
Christopher Preciado’s trial ended emotionally Thursday with him being sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Attorney General Melissa Alban said she plans to appeal.
Ramon Preciado, who was released on bail, attended his son’s hearing with his wife Myrta Romanos.
Romanos, who was accused of mistreating a corpse and tampering with evidence, had his charges dropped in November.
During the trial, prosecutors frequently named Ramon Preciado as a contributor to the crime. They said he helped his son hide the bodies after he committed the murders.
The bodies of Soto and Guerra were found in Guerra’s Kia Optima, which was parked behind a Northwest Side apartment complex. Each had been shot in the head.
Police said Ramon Preciado was included in footage posted by police on social media that showed a man in a black pickup truck meeting someone in Guerra’s Kia Optima at the apartment.
A man in a sleeveless white T-shirt can be seen getting out of the pickup and handing something to the driver of the Optima. The two talk briefly before heading off in different directions.
Police said the footage was recorded after the couple was killed. They believe the younger Preciado was in the driver’s seat with the bodies at the time of recording.
In previous hearings, prosecutors had previously labeled Ramon Preciado a repeat offender on charges of unauthorized driving, evading arrest and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
This article was first published at: Father accused of hiding the bodies of Savanah Soto and Matthew Guerra, to begin trial in May.
