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Delavan man sentenced to jail in nearly fatal beating case

ELKHORN — The third defendant in the nearly fatal gang-related beating of a Delavan man will spend a year in the Walworth County Jail.

Renato Aranda, 25, of 6363 Linn Road, Delavan, was sentenced Friday in Walworth County Court to one year in jail plus seven years probation for felony party to battery while armed, misdemeanor possession of cocaine and misdemeanor third-offense drunken driving.

Aranda was one of four men charged in the drubbing of another man in September 2003.

The men used a crowbar, a baseball bat and a metal rod to bash the man, according to the criminal complaint, and the brawl appeared to be gang related.

The victim was flown to Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital in Wauwatosa with critical injuries, according to the criminal complaint, but he survived.

Aranda had been charged with party to attempted first-degree intentional homicide, party to battery, party to first-degree reckless injury and party to disorderly conduct.

All of the charges included the use of a dangerous weapon.

He was offered a plea agreement in exchange for his help in the case, Walworth County District Attorney Phil Koss said. Aranda pleaded guilty in March to party to battery by use of a dangerous weapon and the other charges were dropped.

“Mr. Aranda has been cooperative and has given statements and information,” Koss said.

The drunken driving and cocaine possession charges stem from a traffic stop in December 2006, Koss said.

Jose F. Gomez, 25, of Delavan and Santos J. Moronez, 29, of Delavan have been convicted for their roles in the beating.

Gomez was sentenced in December 2006 to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to felony party to battery by use of a dangerous weapon.

Moronez served a year in the county jail with work release after pleading guilty in August 2004 to felony battery by use of a dangerous weapon. He was ordered to remain on probation for 10 years.

A fourth suspect, Jayme A. Manriquez, 30, remains a fugitive. He posted $5,000 bail and has not been seen since August 2004.

Investigators are looking for Manriquez, Koss said.

In court Friday, Judge James Carlson ordered Aranda to help pay more than $21,000 in restitution. He also decided Aranda could be released from jail for work.

Aranda did not address the judge during the sentencing hearing.