Judge allows prosecutors to admit more evidence for Joliet triple murder trial

About a month before trial, a judge allowed prosecutors to bring in evidence they believe will show a 20-year-old man is a gang member and that he conspired with another gang member to commit a deadly arson three years ago in Joliet.

On Monday, Judge Dan Kennedy granted two motions from Will County Assistant State’s Attorneys Chris Koch and Michael Fitzgerald to admit co-conspirator statements and alleged gang membership evidence for the upcoming jury trial against Andy Cerros.

Cerros’ attorney Blake Stone objected to both motions. Stone argued that Cerros is not a gang member and he had no desire or plan to kill Rakeem “Rocky” Venson, who prosecutors said was the target of a flare gun attack June 3, 2017, which caused a fire at a Center Street residence.

“He didn’t even know it was going to happen,” Stone said of Cerros.

Venson escaped the fire, but Regina Rogers, 28, Rogers’ 11-month-old daughter, Royalty Rogers, and Jacquetta Rogers, 29, were killed.

Cerros and Manuel Escamilla, 21, have been charged with killing the two women and the infant. Eric Raya, 22, was also charged in connection with the incident, but prosecutors dropped the charges after he agreed to testify against Cerros and Escamilla.

Cerros’ jury trial is slated for Nov. 16. Escamilla’s trial has not yet been scheduled.

Raya testified that he saw Cerros holding the flare gun used in the arson.

At Monday’s court hearing, Cerros testified he saw Escamilla fire the flare gun.

Escamilla’s attorney, Chuck Bretz, said he believed the evidence at his client’s trial would show he didn’t fire the flare gun.

Fitzgerald argued for admitting evidence that would apparently show Cerros, like Escamilla, is a Two-Six gang member because it shows a motive for the flare gun attack. Prosecutors have said the incident was related to an ongoing gang feud between Cerros, Escamilla and Venson, an alleged member of the rival Vice Lords gang.

A Joliet police officer who previously arrested Cerros testified that Cerros told him he was affiliated with the Two-Six gang. Cerros said he was “high” when he told the officer about his affiliation and he’s not a member of the gang.

Prosecutors asked to include evidence of several past confrontations connected with Cerros, including one involving him and Venson on May 13, 2017, at a carnival at Louis Joliet Mall.

The incident resulted in Cerros and his brother leaving the carnival “before it became physical,” prosecutors said.

Stone asked Cerros if he wanted to seek retribution against Venson over the incident.

“Not at all,” Cerros said.