Addison murder suspect's sister not guilty of obstructing justice

A DuPage County judge on Tuesday found an Addison woman not guilty of obstructing justice in her younger brother's murder case.

Reina Aguilar, 25, was charged last fall after prosecutors said she lied to detectives and persuaded two friends to give a false alibi for her brother, who was under investigation for the Sept. 15, 2007, shooting death of Lorenzo Salazar-Cortez in Addison.

Her brother, Antonio Aguilar Jr., was acquitted in February after co-defendant Robert Meza invoked their gang's “code of silence” and refused to testify. Meza, 23, who was convicted of his role in the killing and sentenced to 45 years, now faces up to 10 additional years in prison for contempt of court, authorities said.

On Tuesday, Judge Kathryn Creswell acquitted Reina Aguilar after reviewing police reports, grand jury transcripts and other evidence agreed to by the defense and prosecution. She didn't comment on the ruling other than to say the state failed to prove its case.

Senior Assistant Public Defender Mark Lyon had argued the allegations against his client came about well after her brother was charged, suggesting any statements had little bearing on the case.