:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(728x684:730x686)/Murder-generic-082023-Taylor-082023-01-428f887027eb4578af3f3428a7df92e5.jpg)
A 17-year-old boy in Illinois faces murder charges as an adult after allegedly strangling his own mother to death Tuesday morning, according to prosecutors.
Avion Tapia was arrested and charged with one count of first-degree murder on Wednesday, the Peoria County State's Attorney's Office said in a news release.
According to the state’s attorney, Tapia called 911 to report that his mother Vanessa Tucker was unresponsive and not breathing. Tapia allegedly told police that he and his mother, 36, had gotten into a physical altercation earlier in the morning.
Assistant State’s Attorney Terry Muench alleged in court on Wednesday that Tapia waited several hours before calling 911 after he and his mother got into a fight, according to WMBD.
Tapia claimed he got into a fight with his mom after she got home from work around 1 a.m. However, Muench said neighbors had said Tucker wasn’t working that night.
Tapia called 911 shortly after 4 a.m., according to the Peoria County Coroner’s Office.
The coroner’s office said Wednesday that medics arrived and found Tucker “without a pulse and not breathing.” She was transported to a hospital “in grave condition” and was pronounced dead, roughly an hour after police and paramedics first arrived at the scene.
An autopsy report showed Tucker died from asphyxiation and that finger marks were found around her neck, according to the state’s attorney’s office.
Witnesses allegedly told police that earlier in the morning, they allegedly saw Tapia hiding behind a dumpster outside his mother’s apartment and also tried to climb into the apartment through a window.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
“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 state’s attorney’s office said. “The judge set bond at 1 million dollars.”
WMBD reports Tapia faces a maximum of 40 years in prison. It's unclear if he has entered a plea or retained an attorney.
Tucker’s sister started a GoFundMe fundraiser to help raise money for funeral expenses. “Any little bit will help send my sister home to be with our father,” Tucker’s sister Keeley Marie wrote.
ncG1vNJzZmiolaS9rbGNnKamZ2FserqxwKtkqKSUYq6kr9SsnJ1lo6m%2ForrGpaCnn12ivLW0xKtkraddmbKiwMdmbnFtYmeFdg%3D%3D