Police: Boy calls 911 after dad stabs mom in Rolling Meadows
A 10-year-old boy's early morning call to 911 may well have saved his mother's life after police say an altercation between her and her husband escalated to violence Saturday morning in the couple's Rolling Meadows home.
Authorities say Jose Antonio Aparicio stabbed the woman 17 times, then locked himself in the bathroom and used the same weapon to cut and stab himself.
"It was a domestic dispute that escalated," said Rolling Meadows Police Chief David Scanlan. "The man stabbed his wife and then tried to kill himself."
Cook County Circuit Court Judge Kay Hanlon set bail at $500,000 for Aparicio, 42, who was charged with attempted murder. He remains hospitalized and was not present for the hearing.
The 30-year-old victim suffered stab wounds to her back, abdomen and forearm, said Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Adam Klugman during Tuesday's bond hearing.
She lost a significant amount of blood and remains in the special intensive care unit, Klugman said, adding "at this point, she is expected to recover."
She and the defendant are at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. Scanlan said. Aparicio was listed in fair condition. The woman's condition was not known.
His mother's screams awoke the child who attempted to call 911, but was told not to make the call by the defendant, Klugman said. The boy made the call, informing the operator that the defendant was killing his mother, Klugman said.
Police could not confirm if there were any other children in the home at the time. Also, authorities found several letters in which Aparicio expressed remorse and asked for forgiveness, Klugman said. In a statement to police, he admitted stabbing the woman and trying to kill her, Klugman said.
Police declined to comment on a motive and were unsure if alcohol or drugs played a factor in the incident which occurred at about 1 a.m. Saturday in the 4900 block of Weber Drive.
The defendant has no criminal convictions, Klugman said. However, the victim had described to police a history of violence, he said.
Aparicio next appears in a Rolling Meadows courtroom on July 15.