Elgin, IL – A Kane County judge on Wednesday sentenced an Elgin woman to 20 years in prison after she admitted to starving, torturing, and medically neglecting a 7-year-old child over a three-year period.
According to the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office, Eulalia Vences agreed to the sentence in exchange for a guilty plea to Aggravated Battery causing Great Bodily Harm, a Class X felony. Judge Julia Yetter accepted the plea during a court hearing this week.
Prosecutors said the abuse occurred between March 2021 and March 2024, while Vences served as a live-in caretaker for the child. According to Assistant State’s Attorney Lori Schmidt, the child was rushed to Saint Joseph Hospital in Elgin in March 2024 after suffering cardiac arrest and becoming unresponsive.
Medical staff were able to stabilize the child but discovered the child weighed only 14 pounds. Doctors determined the condition was consistent with severe intentional physical torture, psychological abuse, and prolonged medical neglect.
Vences and the child’s mother, Natali Cruz-Gemchi, were charged with multiple counts of aggravated battery, aggravated domestic battery, and child endangerment. Cruz-Gemchi’s case remains pending, and she is currently detained in the Kane County jail. Allegations against her have not yet been resolved in court.
Under Illinois law, Vences must serve at least 85% of her sentence. She will receive credit for 596 days already served in the Kane County jail.
“This is one of the most disturbing cases I have encountered,” Schmidt said, noting the child will likely face lifelong medical and psychiatric consequences despite surviving the abuse.
Prosecutors also credited Elgin police investigators, medical professionals, and child advocacy staff for helping save the child’s life.
This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
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