Illinois Man Charged With Murder in 2010 Death of 11-Month-Old Boy

BELIEVE IT OR NOT, POLICE SAY AN ILLINOIS MAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED FOR FIRST-DEGREE MURDER IN THE DEATH OF AN 11-MONTH-OLD BOY MORE THAN 15 YEARS AFTER THE CHILD DIED FROM REPORTED ABUSE INJURIES… AND HE HAS NOW BEEN ORDERED HELD IN CUSTODY AWAITING TRIAL.

An Illinois man is facing murder charges in connection with the death of an infant more than a decade and a half ago, according to authorities.

Police said the arrest follows the death of an 11-month-old child who suffered fatal injuries from reported child abuse.

The Aurora Police Department identified the suspect as 44-year-old Spiros Elias of Burlington.

Authorities accused Elias of killing Michael Ortiz in Aurora in 2010.

At the time of the incident, Elias was dating Michael’s mother, according to police.

The Aurora Police Department said Elias was also living with the child’s mother during that period.

On December 17, 2010, emergency responders received a report regarding the infant’s condition.

Police and fire personnel were dispatched after Michael was reported to be “unconscious and not breathing,” the department said in a Friday, August 28, news release.

The infant received emergency medical care for several sustained injuries, according to police.

Treatment was administered across two separate hospitals before Michael died the following day, authorities said.

“The DuPage County Coroner’s Office later determined Michael’s death was caused by injuries resulting from child abuse and classified the death as a homicide,” police said.

“Despite a thorough investigation, the initial investigators were unable to determine who was responsible, and the case remained unresolved,” police said.

For years, no suspect was identified in the infant’s homicide.

Then, an Aurora Police Department cold case detective revisited the case evidence in 2024.

That review initiated new investigative steps by law enforcement authorities.

During the renewed probe into Michael’s death, detectives conducted fresh interviews, according to police.

Investigators also consulted with an independent pediatric radiologist during the reopened inquiry.

Additionally, law enforcement secured new laboratory analysis as part of their updated efforts, police said.

“The specialized medical review helped investigators more precisely establish when Michael’s fatal injuries occurred,” police said.

Authorities stated that Elias was ultimately linked directly to the timeframe in which the boy’s injuries were inflicted.

On August 18, prosecutors presented the gathered case materials to a grand jury.

The grand jury returned a formal indictment against Elias containing two counts of first-degree murder, police said.

The first count charged Elias with first-degree murder “intending to cause death or great bodily harm,” according to police.

The second count charged him with first-degree murder “knowing his actions created a strong probability of death or great bodily harm,” authorities said.

Following the indictment, Elias appeared in court for a detention hearing on Friday, August 28.

During that hearing, a prosecutor outlined the state’s allegations regarding the timeline of events on the day Michael was fatally injured, the Daily Herald reported.

Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser argued that Elias was alone with the baby after Michael’s mother departed for her job, according to the newspaper.

Elias was the person who placed the emergency phone call to 911, Mosser stated in court.

Elias told law enforcement personnel that the child was not breathing and had choked on milk after being given a sippy cup, Mosser said, according to the Daily Herald.

The defendant claimed he laid the boy down inside the residence prior to the emergency, the prosecutor said.

At that time, Elias resided in the household alongside Michael’s mother, Michael, two other children belonging to the mother, and one other adult, the newspaper reported.

The other adult living in the home was not present at the residence when Elias dialed 911, according to the report.

Medical findings presented in court contradicted Elias’s initial explanation of an accidental choking incident.

According to a forensic pathologist’s determination, Michael had been shaken and strangled, Mosser stated, as reported by the Daily Herald.

The forensic pathologist also determined that the infant sustained blunt-force trauma, the prosecutor said.

Aurora Police Chief Matt Thomas addressed the prolonged resolution of the homicide in a public statement.

“A child’s life was taken, and Michael’s family has lived for more than 15 years without answers or accountability,” Thomas said.

“While this arrest cannot undo their loss or erase the pain caused by the passage of time, we hope it brings them one step closer to justice,” the chief said.

Yet the defense challenged the state’s bid to keep the defendant locked up prior to trial.

At the detention hearing, Elias’s defense attorney, Brandon McNulty, disagreed with the prosecution’s argument that his client poses a danger to the public, the Daily Herald reported.

The presiding judge ruled on the state’s detention request following the hearing.

Elias was ordered detained in custody ahead of his trial, according to the newspaper.

The charges are allegations and have not been proven in court.