ILLINOIS – A man who entered the country as an illegal immigrant stands accused of the brutal murder of his wife, nearly decapitating her in front of one of their children. Authorities filed the charges following the violent incident.
The defendant, 32-year-old Baltazar Perez-Estrada, allegedly attacked his wife, Maricela Simon Franco, after a dispute arose between the couple. Perez-Estrada had discovered that his wife had a lover, which led to heated arguments, according to prosecutors.
Following the fatal incident, Perez-Estrada was taken into custody on murder charges. Reports suggest that a pre-fight disclosure about her boyfriend triggered the deadly dispute.
One of Perez-Estrada’s daughters gave a chilling account of the incident in the petition. She walked in on the violent episode, witnessing her father attack her mother with a knife.
The victim’s uncle provided additional context to the crime, informing authorities that Franco planned to break off her marriage of nine years with Perez-Estrada before her tragic death.
Perez-Estrada had been in the U.S. illegally over the past month. He had managed to cross the southern border and was living predominantly in Mexico. Despite his illegal entry, he was freed and given a court date in the future.
This disturbing episode of brutal domestic violence brings attention to a plaguing societal issue. State’s attorney Berlin issued a statement, “Domestic violence continues to be a scourge on society, claiming more than ten million victims a year in some form or fashion.” He added, “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, Baltazar Perez-Estrada.”