CHICAGO – A judge has sentenced a man to 22 years in prison for killing a key witness in an ongoing murder case against his friend. George Reyes, 22, pleaded guilty to murder Wednesday in exchange for Judge James Obbish’s sentence, court records show.
On Christmas Day 2020, an accomplice of Reyes lured the witness, 20-year-old Sebastian Serrano, to the 3300 block of West 52nd Street through a Snapchat conversation, prosecutors alleged.
When Serrano arrived, Reyes allegedly walked up to him and shot him in the chest, back, arm and legs. Police, responding to a ShotSpotter gunfire detection alert, found 11 shell casings near Serrano’s body.
Reyes, who was out on bail on a drug charge at the time, was arrested on another drug charge about a week after the murder. While speaking to police during that arrest, he said he had information about Serrano’s killing and identified the shooter by name, prosecutors said.
But the person he named was in jail at the time of the murder, so detectives became suspicious and began considering Reyes as a suspect.
Meanwhile, investigators searched Serrano’s phone and discovered the Snapchat calls and messages that brought him to the intersection. Investigators allegedly found incriminating videos and other evidence in Reyes’ social media records.
Giler allegedly told investigators that he lured Serrano to the intersection because Reyes, whom he called “gunman,” was going to kill Serrano for treason, prosecutors said.
Reyes later told a witness that he “had a good feeling” about his friend’s murder case because Serrano was the only witness against him, prosecutors alleged.
The deal Reyes struck with prosecutors stipulates that the murder was committed with a dangerous weapon other than a firearm, a legal maneuver that could allow Reyes to avoid a 25-year prison sentence. By law, he must serve 100% of his 22-year sentence.
Prosecutors have charged a man named Andres Giler with murder for allegedly luring Surrano to his death. Giler pleaded guilty in 2022 to conspiracy against civil rights and was given an 18-month prison sentence by Judge Obbish, court records show.
Reyes’ friend in the murder case is Antonio Reyes, who is not related. Reyes’ murder case is still ongoing.
