Naperville, IL – A mother and son were sentenced to lengthy prison terms Monday for their roles in the 2018 murder and armed robbery of Naperville resident Michael Armendariz. The DuPage County Circuit Court sentenced Ernest Collins, 28, to 70 years for murder and 28 years for armed robbery. His mother, Candice Jones, 44, received a 40-year sentence for murder and an additional 28 years for robbery. Both sentences will run concurrently, and the defendants are required to serve their full terms without parole.
According to DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin, Collins and Jones, with the help of accomplice Cassandra Green, devised a plan to rob Armendariz. Authorities allege that Green lured Armendariz into her vehicle on January 14, 2018, where Collins fatally shot him. The investigation found that the trio moved Armendariz’s body to Jones’ Chicago home, concealing it in a garbage can in her garage.
Green cooperated with authorities in exchange for a reduced sentence and was sentenced to 21 years on Nov. 13. Berlin expressed hope that the verdicts bring justice to Armendariz’s family, who continue to mourn his loss.
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