An illegal immigrant is accused of stabbing his wife to death in a Chicago-area apartment and attempting to decapitate her in front of their daughters.
Baltazar Perez-Estrada, 33, turned himself in to the Carol Stream Police Department on Monday around 11:30 a.m. and confessed that he “allegedly stabbed his wife,” Maricela Simón Franco, 26, according to court records.
Around 10 p.m. Sunday, the couple got into an argument at their home in the Carol Stream apartment complex, which soon turned physical after Baltazar discovered his wife had a boyfriend, prosecutors said.
He proceeded to stab Maricela dozens of times in the neck, head, torso and hands before attempting to decapitate her head while her two children were present, according to prosecutors.
“In this case, the sad reality is that Maricela’s life has been reduced to a domestic violence statistic due to the alleged actions of her husband, Baltazar Pérez-Estrada,” the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office said.
Baltazar Pérez-Estrada, 33, has been accused of stabbing his wife to death on Sunday before attempting to behead her in front of their daughters.
Authorities later discovered that Baltazar and his family had just entered the United States illegally approximately two weeks before he took his wife’s life.
The couple had an argument at their home in the Carol Stream apartment complex, which soon turned physical after Baltazar discovered his wife had a boyfriend.
“This act of brutal and senseless violence alleged against Mr. Pérez Estrada will not be tolerated and he will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Authorities later discovered that Baltazar and his family had just entered the United States illegally about two weeks before he allegedly took his wife’s life.
The couple’s two young daughters later told police that during the gruesome attack, they saw their father “hit” their mother with a knife.
A forensic doctor later discovered that the husband tried to decapitate Maricela’s head. Maricela was pronounced dead at the scene.
One of the girls told police that her father disposed of the knife in a nearby pond, the documents revealed.
A request for preventive detention, reviewed by the daily heraldrevealed that before turning himself in to the police, Baltazar confided in his brother what he did.
The petition said he asked his brother to pick him and the children up at the Glenside Library, where they were found covered in mud.
Then his brother bought them new clothes and took them to his house so they could clean themselves before Baltazar told his brother what happened the night before. He then turned himself in to the police.
According to the petition, before the alleged murder, Baltazar’s brother said Maricela stopped by his apartment and said she planned to leave her husband.
An earlier police report revealed that officers were called to the couple’s home on March 17 for a domestic incident, but no criminal charges were filed.
The couple’s two young daughters later told police that during the gruesome attack they saw their father “hit” their mother with a knife.
An earlier police report revealed that officers were called to the couple’s home on March 17 for a domestic incident, but no criminal charges were filed.
On Thursday, a DuPage County judge decided to deny Baltazar pretrial release. He is expected to appear in court on April 25 to be arraigned and his immigration charges will be dealt with in a separate trial.
“First and foremost, I offer my deepest condolences to Maricela’s surviving family and friends for their loss and wish them strength as they continue their lives without the love and support provided by Maricela,” said DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin.
‘The extremely violent end to a young mother’s life is something that should affect us all. Domestic violence continues to be a scourge on society and claims, in some form, more than ten million victims a year.’
Baltazar faces five counts of first-degree murder and the US government charged him with immigration inadmissibility.
On Thursday, a DuPage County judge decided to deny Baltazar pretrial release.
He is expected to appear in court on April 25 to be arraigned and his immigration charges will be heard during a separate trial.
“The men and women of the Carol Stream Police Department stand with the family and friends of Maricela Simon Franco as they mourn this tragic loss,” said Carol Stream Police Chief Don Cummings.
“This brutal and senseless act has not only eliminated Maricela from their lives, but has also stripped two young children of their mother.”