Rockford area man charged in shooting death of 10-year-old boy released from jail

A South Beloit man charged in connection with the shooting death of a 10-year-old boy was ordered released from the Winnebago County Jail Monday following a detention hearing.

Jose Sandoval-Tenorio, 30, of South Beloit, was charged with endangering the life of a child and possessing firearms without a Firearm Owners Identification Card. Sandoval-Tenorio had kept a pair of pistols unsecured but hidden in his bedroom beneath a loose floorboard, prosecutors told Associate Judge Scott R. Paccagnini.

Winnebago County State's Attorney J. Hanley asked Paccagnini to deny Sandoval-Tenorio release.

But lawyer Jason Tempin said Sandoval-Tenorio has no criminal record and that although the death was tragic, there was no evidence the South Beloit man posed a continuing threat since his firearms were seized as evidence.

More: Rockford area man arrested in shooting death of 10-year-old boy

Paccagnini noted that Sandoval-Tenorio had lived in the area for 13 years without serious legal trouble. He ruled that under the Pretrial Fairness Act, which ended cash bail in Illinois on Monday, Sandoval-Tenorio should be released.

The judge ordered the South Beloit man to stay away from the family home and to have no contact with his wife or children.

"We argued he should be detained based on the severity of the charge and the underlying facts, but ultimately the court disagreed and found he should be released with those conditions," Hanley said.

Prosecutors have sixty days to bring a bill of indictment against Sandoval-Tenorio. It's possible the charges could be amended or upgraded as an investigation continues.

The shooting took place Friday in the 200 block of Townline Avenue in South Beloit.

Prosecutors said that Sandoval-Tenorio and his wife had left to go out to eat or attend a festival in Beloit, leaving the 10-year-old boy and a 9-year-old boy alone at home.

Authorities found realistic toy guns near the actual guns including a Springfield 9-mm pistol, prosecutors said.

Jeff Kolkey can be reached at (815) 987-1374, via email at jkolkey@rrstar.com and on Twitter @jeffkolkey.

Editor's Note: This article was updated to make a correction. It initially said the 10-year-old was home alone with a girl. In fact, he was left home with a 9-year-old boy.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: South Beloit parents had gone out to eat when boy was shot at home