A Peoria teenager has been charged with murder in the strangulation death of his mother. 17 year old Avion Tapia was arrested on Tuesday, August 22nd after a 911 call brought Police and Paramedics to his family home in Peoria. There, Police found Tapia’s mother, Vanessa Tucker unresponsive and not breathing. An autopsy later found finger marks around Tucker’s neck and determined that she had died to asphyxiation via strangulation. Tapia said he and his mother had gotten into a physical altercation earlier. Witnesses told police they had witnessed Tapia trying to get into his mother’s apartment by climbing through a window and saw Tapia hiding behind a dumpster outside of the apartment. Due to his age, Tapia is considered a juvenile however, because he is charged with First Degree Murder, he is being tried as an adult. Tapia is currently being held in Juvenile Detention.
