A man convicted of murder for fatally shooting a friend who refused to get into a car with him after a night of partying has been sentenced to 55 years in prison.
Gabriel Guardiola, 38, was convicted of one count of first-degree murder on Jan. 30 for the shooting that killed Cicero resident Ricardo Rivera in the early morning hours of Feb. 24, 2013, court records show.
He was sentenced to 55 years in prison Monday at a hearing before Judge Joseph M. Claps, according to court records.
Prosecutors said the pair belonged to a motorcycle club together, and that Guardiola had picked up Rivera hours earlier so they could go to a strip club, the Chicago Sun-Times reported previously.
After leaving the club, Guardiola got back in his car and Rivera walked ahead down the street, apparently irritating Guardiola who told his friend to get in his car, prosecutors said at Guardiola’s bond hearing.
Guardiola even called a mutual friend and left a voicemail declaring what he intended to do to Rivera as the man kept walking along Cicero Avenue, prosecutors said.
Rivera, 31, called the same friend before walking to a parking lot in the 100 block of South Cicero where Guardiola got out of his car, shot the man in the head and drove away, prosecutors claimed.
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Surveillance cameras captured Guardiola firing the weapon, prosecutors said. Police allegedly found a gun in Guardiola’s residence, in the 1500 block of North Monticello. There also was gunshot residue on his clothing.
At the time of his arrest, Guardiola was a married father of six and worked as a custodian at Lane Tech College Prep, officials said.
He will receive credit for more than two years spent behind bars since his arrest, records show.
