Mary Owen, TribLocal reporter
A hearing is set for Sept. 24 for a Plainfield man charged with murder in the death of an infant boy in Joliet in 2008.
Police arrested Santos Loza Jr., 30, Tuesday afternoon in Plainfield after following him home from his job in Montgomery. He appeared via video before a Will County judge Wednesday.
Loza is being held in lieu of $3 million bail. His parents attended the hearing, but declined comment. His private attorney, Alex Beck, said Loza plans to plead not guilty.
On Oct. 26, 2008, West Chicago resident Sandra Sitko left her 8-month-old son, Kevion Bender, alone with Loza at his then-residence on the 3600 block of Woodside Court in Joliet. Sitko returned later that evening to spend the night and told investigators that the baby appeared to be sleeping at the time.
The child was found unconscious the next morning and pronounced dead from multiple blunt-force head trauma at Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center.
Officials said forensic analysis contributed to the delay in arrest and charges.
“This case demanded an extensive and thorough review before we moved forward with the charges,” said Chuck Pelkie, spokesman for the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office. “That review included analysis by forensic experts.”
Tribune freelancer Dennis Sullivan contributed to this report.
