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JOLIET – A sentencing hearing began Wednesday for one of the men involved in a gang fight at a Joliet bar last spring that ended when a man was shot in the head.
The then-19-year-old victim survived but spent months in the hospital before being moved to a long-term medical care facility, Will County assistant state's attorney Peter Wilkes said.
Marcos Briceno, 36, of Joliet, pleaded guilty to aggravated battery and mob action for the April 12, 2015, fight in the beer garden of Los Diaz Bar & Liquors, 674 Meeker Ave. Briceno has made a blind plea before Judge Dave Carlson and faces two to 10 years in prison.
Since 1997, Briceno has been arrested on charges of unlawful use of a weapon, mob action, marijuana possession, criminal trespassing, domestic battery, theft and driving under the influence. He was convicted of aggravated discharge of a firearm in 2005.
"He's no angel," older brother Herman Briceno testified. "He's not a teenager. He's an adult who needs to figure out his life ... but underneath this is a good person."
Briceno's longtime girlfriend, Tracy Fausto, told the judge Briceno's arrest was a "wake-up call" for him.
"Before [the plea] he was looking at two Class X felonies ... up to 60 years, his whole life," she said.
A few days after several Latin King gang members reportedly jumped a member of the Vice Lords, Briceno and other Vice Lords went to Los Diaz to confront them, according to police. Antonio Luna, 27, of Aurora, allegedly shot the victim and faces attempted murder charges.
Marcus T. Alexander, of Joliet; Serafin Castellanos, of Oswego; Anthony Grant, of Aurora; Robby L. Patton, of Aurora; Austin R. Runde, of Aurora; Adrian Vega, of Aurora; Arthur G. Jiminez, of Aurora; Alejandro Lara-Leyva, of Aurora; and Nicolas J. Pisano, of Aurora, were also charged with aggravated battery and mob action.
Carlson said Wednesday he will review a recording of Briceno's interview with police and then allow Briceno to make a statement before issuing a sentence April 11.