Illinois man charged with 2010 murder of 11-month-old boy in Aurora
A man has been charged with killing his live-in girlfriend's 11-month-old son in west suburban Aurora in 2010.
Spiros Elias, 44, of Burlington, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
Aurora police said, on Dec. 17, 2010, officers responded to a home in the 100 block of Cross Street for a report of a baby who was unconscious and not breathing.
Eleven-month-old Michael Ortiz was taken to the hospital for treatment, and died from his injuries the next day. An autopsy determined Michael died of injuries from child abuse.
At the time, Elias was the live-in boyfriend of the baby's mother, but police said, despite a thorough investigation, investigators were not able to determine who had killed Michael.
In December 2024, cold case investigators conducted a comprehensive review of the case, and consulted with an independent pediatric radiologist to obtain new laboratory analyses in the case.
That review helped investigators more precisely determine when Michael was injured, and after comparing that evidence with witness statements, determined Elias was responsible for Michael's death.
On Tuesday, a Kane County grand jury indicted Elias for Michael's murder. At a detention hearing on Friday, a judge ordered him held in jail while he awaits trial. He is due back in court on Oct. 15.
