Plea deal offered for Hammond teen charged in 2017 murder, rapes

Prosecutors said Friday a plea deal has been offered to a Hammond teen charged at 15 with a murder and two separate rapes in 2017.

Omarion Elijah Wilbourn, 18, would face a 65-year sentence under the deal, Prosecutor Michelle Jatkiewicz said.

His trial is currently scheduled for May 3.

Wilbourn’s lawyer, John Maksimovich, asked Judge Diane Boswell for a new court date in June, because he couldn’t read some of the digital case files on his computer that he received on a memory stick from prosecutors.

Jatkiewicz took issue, saying the plea deal had been offered over a week ago, and discussed prior. Maksimovich said he hadn’t yet reviewed it with his client.

It is a “final offer,” she told Boswell.

Under the agreement, Wilbourn would plead guilty to murder for 45 years, and two rape charges each with 20 years served together.

The counts were “three separate victims, three separate acts,” all crimes of violence, Jatkiewicz said.

If he opted to go to trial, Wilbourn could face from 45-145 years in prison.

His next status hearing was set for April 19.

Court documents filed against Wilbourn charge him with murder in the killing of Lucia Gonzales, 25, who was found dead Aug. 22, 2017, in her home in the 7500 block of Alexander Avenue.

He was also charged with robbery resulting in serious bodily injury and theft in connection with her death.

Wilbourn was charged with two counts of rape in connection with incidents involving two females in Hammond alleys, court records show. He allegedly raped a 14-year-old girl on July 26, 2017, near the 6700 block of Nebraska Avenue, and a 25-year-old woman on Aug. 8, 2017, in the 7400 block of Arkansas Avenue, according to court records and police.