38-year-old Aydreian D.A. Hooper of Fairfield is seeking a reduction of her 10-year prison sentence for the July 14, 2024 death of her 17-month-old son, Aaruan, who died after being left unattended in a vehicle during extreme heat. Another child, Gage Hooper Gonzales, then age two, suffered serious and permanent injuries during the same incident.
Hooper was sentenced in May after being convicted in the tragic case that also resulted in her five surviving children being placed under the supervision of Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
Through her attorney, Hooper has filed a motion arguing her sentence is excessive and violates the Illinois Constitution, which requires penalties to consider both the seriousness of the offense and the goal of restoring offenders to useful citizenship. Her filing suggests probation with continued counseling would better serve that objective.
A hearing on Hooper’s motion, originally scheduled for December 9, has been continued to February. Hooper is currently serving her sentence at Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln.