A 33-year-old man who entered the US illegally from Mexico only two weeks ago has been charged with the murder of his wife in Carol Stream.
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Carol Stream Chief of Police Don Cummings announced Thursday that Judge Joshua Dieden has granted the State’s motion to deny pre-trial release for the man, who was officially charged with five counts of First Degree Murder.
According to prosecutors, on Monday at approximately 11:30am the suspect entered the Carol Stream Police Department and informed authorities that he had allegedly stabbed his wife. Officers took the suspect into custody at this time and immediately opened an investigation.
Authorities subsequently learned that the subject and his wife, twenty-six-year-old Maricela Simon Franco, were at her apartment together and got into a verbal altercation at approximately 10pm the previous evening. The argument turned physical, with the subject stabbing Franco dozens of times about her head, neck, body and hands, nearly decapitating her head. She was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Authorities also learned that the subject had been residing in Mexico and illegally arrived in the United States approximately two weeks ago. He was charged by the United States Government with alien inadmissibility and given a future court date. The couple have two minor children, both of whom were present at the time of the alleged murder.
“First and foremost, I offer my sincerest condolences to Maricela’s surviving family and friends on their loss and wish them strength as they continue their lives without the love and support provided by Maricela,” Berlin said. “The extremely violent end to a young mother’s life is something that should touch us all. Domestic violence continues to be a scourge on society, claiming more than ten million victims a year in some form or fashion. In this case, the sad reality is, Maricela’s life has been reduced to a statistic of domestic violence due to the alleged actions of her husband. This brutal, senseless act of violence alleged against the suspect will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
