Autistic boy stabbed to death with mom, caretaker nearby

Police were investigating the stabbing death of a severely autistic 14-year-old boy whose body was found by relatives at his suburban apartment with his mother and a caretaker uninjured but disoriented nearby.

The teenager, Alex Spourdalakis, was stabbed numerous times in the chest, River Grove Police Chief Rodger Loni said Monday.

Detectives went to a hospital Monday to question the boy’s 50-year-old mother and his caretaker who were found “semiconscious, disoriented and unable to speak” in the same room as the victim. One woman was found “in bed with the body” and the other was on the floor between the bed and the wall, Loni said.

The police chief said the boy needed constant care because of his severe autism. He said he wouldn’t speculate about why the women were disoriented or say whether they are considered suspects.

The boy’s father, who didn’t live at the apartment, and an uncle discovered the body on Sunday and called police, Loni said.

“They couldn’t reach the family by phone, so they went over and gained entry to the apartment,” Loni said. “Then they called us.”

The Cook County medical examiner’s office planned an autopsy for later Monday.