One of the two defendants in a Bureau County shooting case, who both have ties to La Salle County, pleaded guilty last week to a lesser offense.

Maria L. Gasca and Delargo L. Gullens were each charged June 17 with aggravated discharge of a firearm at an occupied building. Police said they were involved in the firing of gunshots toward a home in DePue the night before. No one was hurt.

Thursday, Bureau County State's Attorney Patrick Herrmann dropped the discharge of a firearm charge against Gasca, replacing it with a charge of mob action, to which Gasca then pleaded guilty. The charge stated she acted in concert with Gullens in the firing of the shots. As part of her plea deal, Gasca was sentenced to two and one-half years of conditional discharge, to pay a fine and costs of $1,000 by March 19, 2010, and to serve three months in the county jail. Gasca had already spent three months in jail since her arrest, so she was released.

Gasca was also ordered to have no contact with five men connected to the house that was fired upon or to enter the property at which the shots were fired.

Gasca was on parole from prison at the time of the shooting and remained so as of this week.

Police said they believed the shooting was in retaliation for an incident the day before in Ottawa between Gasca and a man who lived at the DePue home.

The 27-year-old Gasca and the 20-year-old Gullens were last listed as living at a home in the same subdivision as the home that took the gunfire. However, in recent years Gasca has been listed with addresses in Ottawa, Naplate, rural Marseilles and Streator. Gullens has been listed in Streator, La Salle and Aurora. Gullens is related to several members of the Da Hittaz gang, who were sent to prison last year for conspiracy to funnel drugs from Chicago to La Salle County. The Da Hittaz were associated with the Chicago-based Gangster Disciples gang.

Gullens' next court hearing is set for Thursday, Nov. 19. He remained in the Bureau County Jail as of this week in lieu of $15,000. The day before the shooting, Gullens, who has been in prison, was charged in La Salle County with slashing tires; that charge is pending with the next court hearing set for Friday, Nov. 20.

The Tri-County Drug Enforcement and Narcotics Team participated in the shooting's follow-up investigation — DePue Police handled the shooting — which led the team to 22-year-old Joshua W. Darnell June 26 in Streator. Darnell told police he had tattooed one of the people involved in the shooting shortly before the shooting. He was wanted for parole violation and was taken back to prison. Tiffanthea J. Boyington was also arrested with Darnell on a complaint of possession of cocaine, but the state's attorney's office has never filed a charge against the 27-year-old woman.