Murder Charges Filed Against Carol Stream Man Accused Of Killing Wife

CAROL STREAM, IL — Murder charges have been filed against a Carol Stream man accused of fatally stabbing his wife dozens of times and "nearly decapitating" her after a verbal altercation Sunday.

Baltazar Perez-Estrada, 33, was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Maricela Simon Franco, 26.

Prosecutors say Perez-Estrada came to the Carol Stream Police Department around 11:30 a.m. Monday, and told officers he had stabbed his wife. Perez-Estrada was taken into custody without incident.

According to a news release from the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office, Perez-Estrada and Franco were arguing around 10 p.m. Sunday when he stabbed her "dozens of times about her head, neck, body and hands, nearly decapitating her" while their two children were present. Franco was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police say Perez-Estrada came to the United States illegally from Mexico roughly two weeks prior to the stabbing. In addition to the felony murder charges, Perez-Estrada was charged with alien inadmissibility.

"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,” DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in a statement.

Berlin added, "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, Baltazar Perez-Estrada. This brutal, senseless act of violence alleged against Mr. Perez-Estrada will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

Perez-Estrada is set to appear in court April 25.