The last person involved in the April 2007 death of Luis Noriega pleaded guilty Friday.

Nathan Schrank, 23, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and one count of aggravated battery.

The guilty plea came during a pre-trial hearing at the DeKalb County courthouse.

“Any time you have a guilty plea, it’s going to be pleaded before the trial,” said Joseph Cullen, DeKalb County First Assistant State’s Attorney. “It was a plea agreement and that’s not unusual.”
Schrank was originally charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of involuntary manslaughter and three counts of aggravated battery.

“The first-degree murder charge was dropped,” Cullen said.

Cullen said Schrank’s sentencing would be as a Class 3 Felony, punishable with local jail time or two to five years in the Department of Corrections.

Christopher Tadder and Fred J. Jakob pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated battery and have already been sentenced. Tadder was sentenced on April 17 to 88 days in the DeKalb County Jail, 30 months probation, 100 hours of community service and anger management counseling.

Jakob received a similar sentence on June 16, with the exception of spending 90 days in jail, as reported in an Aug. 28 Northern Star article.

Emily Hobbs pleaded guilty to aggravated battery in September and is awaiting sentencing.

On April 14, 2007, Luis Noriega was beaten to death after leaving Reilly’s Bar and Eatery, 1215 Blackhawk Road. Noriega was out with his girlfriend and two friends when Emily Hobbs complained that he cut in front of her while in line for the bar. Witnesses told police that Hobbs said threateningly that Noriega would meet her boyfriend later.

Noriega and his friends were confronted by Schrank, Tadder, Jakob and Hobbs as they left the bar, and was attacked by them, according to witnesses. Witnesses also reported Schrank hit Noriega in the face, causing him to hit his head on the concrete during the confrontation. Noriega later died of head injuries.

Schrank’s sentencing hearing will be held at 9 a.m. on Jan. 23.

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