Richard Orozco, 40, has been sentenced to 20 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the June 2024 beating death of a 67-year-old man in Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood. Court records show he received credit for 562 days already served. The attack happened in the 3100 block of West Lawrence Avenue, and the victim later died from the injuries he suffered in the assault.
According to ABC7 Chicago, Orozco pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder, and a Cook County judge imposed the 20-year prison term after reviewing court paperwork. The station reported that the plea documents list the 562 days of credit applied to his sentence and that the sentence was entered this week.
Scene and charges
Chicago police say the assault occurred on June 16, 2024, in the 3100 block of West Lawrence Avenue. Investigators used surveillance video and phone data to identify a suspect. According to the department’s charge release, Orozco was initially booked on a murder count, and the document laid out the timeline that prosecutors relied on when filing charges. Those official filings and arrest records formed the factual basis that prosecutors presented before the plea. The Chicago Police Department announced the original charge last year.
Victim and evidence
Local reporting and court material identify the victim as 67-year-old J. Isabel Castillo and state that the confrontation began after an alleged theft of Castillo’s phone. CWB Chicago reported that the video appears to show Orozco rifling through Castillo’s pockets after the 67-year-old grandfather fell and struck his head. Castillo died two days later, the outlet wrote. Prosecutors cited that video and the phone data as part of their case against Orozco.
Sentence and legal context
Second-degree murder in Illinois is a Class 1 felony that is typically punishable by four to 20 years in prison, and the statute explains how certain mitigating factors can reduce a first-degree murder charge. The law defining second-degree murder and its sentencing range is set out in the Illinois criminal code. Illinois law provides the framework the judge used in imposing a term at the top of that range. Court paperwork that accompanied the plea lists the 562 days credited to Orozco’s sentence, a figure noted in local reporting.
Neighborhood reaction and next steps
The case drew attention in Albany Park after Castillo’s death, and family notices described him as a longtime neighborhood resident and father of four. CWB Chicago noted the family’s obituary and public statements that followed the killing. With the plea entered and sentence imposed, court records will be updated to reflect the disposition, and Orozco is expected to be transferred to state custody to serve the remainder of his term, with the credited days applied.
