States Attorney
WHEATON – DuPage County State’s Attorney Joe Birkett announced today that Judge Perry Thompson sentenced Miguel Brito, Jr., 18, (dob: 1/14/88) formerly of Addison, to 38 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the gang-related shooting death of 18 year-old Jesus Campos.
October 3, 2004, Brito, a gang member, armed himself with a firearm for “protection” because he was going into rival gang territory. When Brito encountered rival gang members that night, he stuck his weapon out of the window of the car he was riding in and fired in the direction of eight to ten rival street gang members, striking and killing Jesus Campos. Brito then disposed of the weapon. On July 25, 2006, Judge Thompson found Brito not guilty of first degree murder. Judge Thompson did however, find Brito guilty of one count of Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm and one count of Armed Violence.
“On October 3, 2004, Mr. Brito shot and killed Jesus Campos simply because he believed that Campos belonged to a rival gang,” commented Birkett. “Mr. Campos’ life was cut drastically short by this unprovoked attack. Hopefully the sentence handed down by Judge Thompson today will send a message that any act of violence, especially by gang members, will be met with severe consequences as Mr. Brito has learned here today.”
Brito will be required to serve 85% of his sentence – 32.3 years.
Birkett praised Assistant State’s Attorneys Bob Berlin and Steve Knight and the Addison Police Department who provided evidence against Brito regarding previous crimes he had committed as a juvenile.
In addition to the sentence handed down by Judge Thompson today, Brito is also charged with three counts of Aggravated Arson and one count of Criminal Damage to Government Supported Property as the result of two separate incidents last month while being held in the DuPage County Jail.
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