A 17-year-old boy from Illinois is facing first-degree murder charges as an adult after allegedly strangling his mother to death on Tuesday morning, August 22, according to statements from the Peoria County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Avion Tapia was arrested and formally charged on Wednesday with the murder of his 36-year-old mother, Vanessa Tucker. Tapia’s call to emergency services reported Tucker as unresponsive and not breathing, detailing a prior physical altercation between them earlier that morning.
Assistant State’s Attorney Terry Muench revealed in court that Tapia did not call 911 until hours after the altercation. Contradicting Tapia’s account that his mother had returned from work at 1 a.m., neighbors conveyed to officials that Tucker had not been working that night.
The call to 911 came shortly after 4 a.m., as confirmed by the Peoria County Coroner’s Office. Responding medics found Tucker without vital signs, rushing her to a local hospital. Despite the efforts, Tucker was declared dead around an hour after the initial police and paramedic response.
An autopsy disclosed the cause of death as asphyxiation, with evidence of finger marks around her neck. Witnesses recounted seeing Tapia acting suspiciously earlier that morning, hiding near a dumpster and attempting to enter the apartment through a window.
Despite his status as a juvenile, Tapia will be tried as an adult due to the severity of the charge. The presiding judge set a bond of $1 million. Facing a potential maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, Tapia’s legal representation and plea entry remain unclear.
In the wake of the incident, Tucker’s sister, Keeley Marie, began a GoFundMe campaign to cover funeral expenses, rallying for support to lay her sister to rest beside their father.
