By JAKE GRIFFIN
Rafael Alvarado was sentenced to 100 years in prison Tuesday following his September conviction for bludgeoning his pregnant girlfriend to death with a hammer.
In addition to the sentence, the 33-year-old Hanover Park man was a three-time loser with his 11th-hour motions as Cook County Judge Thomas Fecarotta Jr. denied Alvarado's requests for a new trial and a new lawyer.
The judge almost kicked Alvarado out of the courtroom as well after he continually interrupted Fecarotta during the sentencing hearing.
“I know you think you are in control,” Fecarotta warned, “but you are testing my patience and I'm not going to allow you to interrupt these proceedings. You will waive your right to participate in these proceedings if you continue to interrupt.”
Alvarado did not speak out of turn again in court.
Fecarotta said Alvarado showed no remorse for the June 2009 death of Norma Favela and the couple's unborn baby. Favela was eight months pregnant when she was killed. Investigators said Favela was struck in the face with a hammer more than 40 times. The blows to her face had left her unrecognizable, the judge said. Fecarotta, as he sentenced Alvarado, recalled the crime scene video prosecutors played during the trial.
“They say a picture speaks a thousand words, but this video spoke a million,” he said.
The judge sentenced Alvarado to 60 years for the first-degree murder of Favela and another 40 years for the death of the unborn baby. The sentences will be served consecutively and Alvarado must serve the entire sentences.
Favela's cousin Carla Velazquez spoke about the devastation Favela's death has caused the family. “There is a huge emptiness that is very painful from our loss of Norma,” Velazquez said. “The pain from all the loss is, at times, unbearable.”
Alvarado continued to assert his innocence during Tuesday's hearing in Rolling Meadows, despite a videotaped confession prosecutors played for jurors at trial.
“I didn't commit that crime and I will show it in my appeal,” he said through an interpreter.
Alvarado, who admitted to dealing drugs, claimed rival drug dealers killed his girlfriend and stole cocaine from his home while he was away.
Alvarado's attorney, Daniel Naranjo, attempted to have Fecarotta overturn the verdict because of a remark a prosecutor made during the trial comparing Alvarado's claims about the murder to ones O.J. Simpson famously made about the killing of his ex-wife.
“Although a stupid comment, I don't think it was done to prejudice the jury,” Fecarotta said in denying Naranjo's request.
Fecarotta also denied Alvarado's request to find Naranjo had provided “ineffective counsel.” It wasn't the first time Alvarado had tried to fire his attorney.
“When things don't go well for you, it seems you want to fire your lawyer,” Fecarotta said. “It doesn't work that way.”
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