BENSENVILLE, Ill. – A Bensenville man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree murder in the 2023 shooting death of a man during his birthday party, prosecutors said.
What we know:
Pictured is Kevin Krenc, 32. (DuPage County State’s Attorney )
Kevin Krenc, 32, entered the plea Thursday in DuPage County court, according to the state’s attorney’s office.
The charge stems from an incident on Oct. 14, 2023, when DuPage County sheriff’s deputies responded to a call about an intoxicated man.
During the investigation, deputies learned of a fatal shooting that had occurred earlier that day on Church Road in unincorporated Bensenville.
An investigation revealed that Krenc had been celebrating his birthday with several people, including the victim, Victor Garcia, at his home.
Tensions escalated after Garcia was accused of stealing a pair of shoes and expressed feeling disrespected. Authorities said Krenc retrieved a rifle and shot Garcia five times inside a garage at his home.
Krenc then hid the weapon in an enclosed trailer and fled the scene, prosecutors said. He was arrested three days later. The rifle was later found in a vent in the basement of his home.
What they’re saying:
“For the unprovoked, senseless killing of Victor Garcia, a father of three with a fourth child on the way at the time of his murder, Kevin Krenc will spend the next 30 years of his life away from society, where he will be unable to harm anyone,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said. “The fact that Mr. Krenc took responsibility for Victor’s murder I’m sure is of no consequence to Victor’s family and friends who must now move forward in their lives without the love and companionship he once provided. I commend DuPage County Sheriff Mendrick and his office for their outstanding work in quickly identifying Mr. Krenc as the man who killed Victor.”
What’s next:
Krenc has been held in the DuPage County Jail since Oct. 20, 2023, when the court granted a motion to deny him pretrial release.
He must serve the full 30-year sentence before being eligible for parole.
