Teen to spend 14 years in prison in death of mother in Peoria’s East Bluff

PEORIA, Ill. – A teenager will spend more than a decade in prison for the strangulation death of his mother in Peoria’s East Bluff two years ago.

25 News reports 19-year-old Avion Tapia will spend the next 14 years in prison, but is eligible for day-to-day credit.

Tapia was found guilty of Second Degree Murder in April in the death of 36-year-old Vanessa Tucker in August of 2023.

During a bench trial, Tapia admitted to strangling his mother during an argument, but claimed self-defense, due to a volatile relationship.  That history included threats against Tapia’s life by Tucker.