A Zion man convicted of murdering a 42-year-old Beach Park man who was found shot multiple times while sitting in a car in Waukegan has been sentenced to 67 years in prison, authorities said.
Lake County Judge Christopher Lombardo sentenced Jamonte J. Davis, 28, to the 67-year prison sentence on Thursday for the fatal shooting of Sergio Berrios in 2022.
Davis had been found guilty of First-Degree Murder for killing Berrios at the conclusion of the jury trial in December 2025.
“As we heard from Sergio’s loved ones at the hearing, Sergio was deeply loved as a father, husband, brother, uncle, and friend,” Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said. “This tragic shooting should have never happened. Now, this murderer will likely spend the rest of his life in prison because of his calculated decisions. We know this long sentence will not bring Sergio back, but we hope that it brings some healing to those who loved him. We will always support them.”
Davis was charged in October 2022 with one count of first-degree murder after Berrios, 42, of Beach Park, was found dead in the 1300 block of Chestnut Street in Waukegan around 12:05 a.m. on October 3, 2022.
Officers responding to a call of shots fired located a vehicle parked in the driveway of a home that had been shot numerous times, according to then-Waukegan Deputy Police Chief Joe Florip.
Officers discovered that Berrios, who appeared to be in the driver’s seat of the vehicle, had been shot numerous times and paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene, Florip said.
Over 20 shell casings were spotted on the street in front of the residence.
Days after the homicide, Davis was charged with the murder and a second suspect, William Fillyaw, 45, of North Chicago, was charged in federal court with arson of a vehicle and use of arson in furtherance of another felony in connection with the shooting.
An affidavit filed in federal court by an FBI special agent said that surveillance video showed a gray Dodge Charger arrive in the 1300 block of Chestnut Street at the time of the murder.
At least two subjects exited the vehicle and discharged guns numerous times into Berrios’ vehicle.
The video surveillance showed one of the two suspects dropping a cell phone onto the ground as they ran up to the victim and started shooting, the affidavit said.
Investigators found two cell phones lying in the driveway near the victim’s vehicle.
They analyzed the phones recovered at the crime scene and learned they both belonged to Davis.
Investigators also obtained location data for Fillyaw’s phone, which showed it was at the location of the homicide when it occurred, the affidavit said.
Davis had texted someone named “Will,” later identified as Fillyaw, in the hours before the shooting and the two discussed going to Chicago to purchase the stolen Dodge, according to the affidavit.
The surveillance video showed the Dodge, which was stolen out of Chicago on October 1, 2022, fleeing the scene at a high rate of speed.
The video also showed a black conversion van with a Wisconsin license plate fleeing the scene and heading toward Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The black conversion van pulled into a Shell gas station in Kenosha around 12:36 a.m. and surveillance video showed Fillyaw get out of the driver’s seat and walk into the store where he purchased a gas can and gasoline, the affidavit said.
Fillyaw then allegedly left in the van and drove toward nearby Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin.
The Dodge was next spotted around 12:45 a.m. by an automatic license plate reader traveling at Sheridan Road and Highway 165 in Pleasant Prairie.
Around 35 minutes later, the Dodge was found fully engulfed in flames in Pleasant Prairie.
No one was inside or near the car, which had all its doors open, and officers found two different caliber shell casings in and around the vehicle.
The casings matched the caliber used in the fatal shooting, the affidavit said.
The black conversion van was also identified as being in the area of the burn site.
Davis was ordered held on a $5 million bond following his arrest. During Davis’ initial court appearance, he told a judge that he would be representing himself in the case.
Court records show Davis also had active warrants for a gun case in Zion and a forgery case from earlier in the year.
State records show Davis was on parole at the time of the murder for a gun case where he was sent to prison and released in August 2020.
During the trial, the jury heard from more than two dozen witnesses, including law enforcement officers, medical personnel and expert witnesses.
Surveillance footage was also presented during the trial, showing a subject identified as Davis wearing a distinctive logo on his pants and gray boots at different locations before the shooting.
Investigators testified that officers determined, through cell phone records and other evidence, that Davis traveled to Chicago to pick up the stolen silver Dodge Charger.
Additional surveillance footage showed Davis, wearing a mask and the same distinctive clothing, getting out of the silver Dodge Charger and firing multiple shots at the victim.
Video evidence showed the two cell phones falling from Davis’ pocket as he fled the scene.
Other expert witnesses were able to link the phones left at the scene to Davis through social media records and forensic examinations.
Assistant State’s Attorney Mary Daly said during closing arguments that Berrios was caught in a feud that was not his own and paid the “ultimate price” for it.
“Davis drove to Chicago and drove back, contemplating this murder. Now, a family continues to mourn, and this offender will face decades in prison because of his calculated decisions that day. Our trial teams continue to do an excellent job holding dangerous offenders accountable,” Rinehart said following the verdict.
The sentencing hearing on Thursday included the reading of four victim-impact statements from Sergio’s wife, two daughters, and his older brother.
They each described Sergio as a devoted father and husband who loved his family deeply.
Sergio’s wife shared how much she misses the “everyday moments” with Sergio, such as singing, dancing, and even simple acts like Sergio changing a lightbulb in their home. She told the court that Davis will never fully understand the pain his actions have caused her family.
In asking that Davis be sentenced to Natural Life in prison, prosecutors described Davis’s choices as “gruesome” and “cold-blooded.”
Lombardo sentenced Davis to 42 years for the First-Degree Murder, plus a 25-year firearm enhancement to be served at 100%, for a total of 67 years.