August 23, Peoria, IL – Today, Avion Tapia, 17, was charged with First-Degree Murder, a Class M Felony, in the strangulation death of his mother, Vanessa Tucker, 36. An autopsy confirmed that Tucker died of asphyxiation, and finger marks were found on her neck.
Early Tuesday morning, the Peoria Police Department responded to a 911 call from Tapia that his mother was unresponsive and not breathing. Tapia said he and his mother had gotten into a physical altercation earlier. Witnesses told police they had witnessed Tapia trying to get into his mother’s apartment by climbing through a window and saw Tapia hiding behind a dumpster outside of the apartment.
Although Tapia is considered a juvenile due to his age and is being held at the Peoria County Juvenile Detention Center, because of the charge, he will be tried as an adult. The judge set bond at 1 million dollars.