Good Samaritan fatally stabbed defending teenager, mother

BERWYN, Ill. (AP) - A suburban Chicago man faces a murder charge after fatally stabbing another man who came to the defense of a woman and her teenage daughter during an altercation inside a grocery store, police said.

The Cook County State's Attorney's Office also charged Fernando Barrios, 30, of Berwyn, with attempted murder following the incident Friday morning inside and outside Valle's Produce in Berwyn.

The altercation began when a 14-year-old girl went to a checkout line to ask her mother, a cashier at the store, the price of a bottle of water. Barrios, who was standing in the checkout line, accused the girl of cutting in, started swearing and began punching her in the face, Berwyn Police Chief Michael Cimaglia said. Barrios also allegedly attacked the girl's mother.

When Barrios tried to leave the store, Humberto Guzman, 32 of Justice, Illinois, went to stop him, but Barrios pulled out a knife and stabbed him several times, police said. Guzman died at a hospital.

Barrios then ran down an alley where he was confronted by a second good Samaritan, Cimaglia said. Barrios allegedly stabbed that man, Kevin Landau, in the torso before fleeing. Landau suffered minor injuries and was treated at a hospital.

Barrios was located later.

'œYou know, it's a bad situation,'ť Cimaglia said. 'œYou're a good Samaritan, you're there to help people. You try to do the right thing and something tragic, very unfortunate ... like this happens.'ť