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Cable installer acquitted of sex abuse By KATE THAYER
Kane Count Chronicle
Wednesday, June 6, 2007 ST. CHARLES
A cable installer smiled and breathed a sigh of relief after a jury acquitted him Tuesday of groping a Geneva woman during a service call. Gustavo Cardenas, 22, of Bridgeview, faced up to three years in prison had he been convicted. He also faced a lifetime of registering as a sex offender. Jurors deliberated for about two hours before delivering a not guilty verdict on two counts of criminal sexual abuse. After leaving the courtroom, Cardenas’ only comment to reporters was, “I’m free.” He did not testify during the two-day trial. Prosecutors alleged that Cardenas groped the woman, now 26, after installing her Comcast phone line on June 3, 2006, at her Division Street apartment.
Cardenas continues to work as a contractor for the company, said his attorney, Kathleen Colton. During the trial, Colton pointed out discrepancies in police interviews, when the woman described lewd statements he allegedly said. She also questioned why the woman waited 11 hours to report the incident to police and tell her fiancé. The woman testified Monday that she told her neighbor after the incident, but then ran errands, went to dinner and bought a kitten before telling her fiancé and calling 911. She testified that the abuse lasted up to seven minutes, and that Cardenas left about noon.
Assistant State’s Attorney Greg Sams said the woman was only estimating times of when the abuse occurred, and for how long. He also said the woman was consistent when describing the actual acts of abuse, and that Cardenas warned her not to tell anyone. Geneva Detective Michelle Frangella testified that victims often contradicted details of crimes, or the order of when they happened.
A DNA expert testified Monday that DNA taken from the woman’s breast matched Cardenas’ DNA profile.
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