Domestic violence advocates expressed outrage after a man who was released on electronic monitoring fatally stabbed his wife in Chicago’s Portage Park neighborhood. NBC Chicago’s Natalie Martinez reports.
Domestic violence advocates spoke out this week after records revealed a man who stabbed his wife to death in Portage Park earlier this week before dying of a self-inflicted gunshot wound was released on electronic monitoring at the time of the incident.
Advocates with Network Advocating Against Domestic Violence are calling for Judge Tom Nowinski, who allowed the man's release, to be reassigned.
The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office identified the woman stabbed Wednesday as 54-year-old Lacramioara Beldie, of the 6000 block of North Harding Avenue.
The suspect was identified as 57-year-old Constantin Beldie, of the 5700 block of West Giddings Street.
The incident also left an off-duty Chicago police detective wounded by gunfire after he intervened in the stabbing Tuesday afternoon.
"We want to make sure the next homicide is the last homicide," Amanda Pyron of NAADV said.
Police said the off-duty detective was observed a man stabbing a woman just after 2:20 p.m. in the 5600 block of West Leland Avenue when he intervened, firing shots at the suspect who later fled the scene.
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While attempting to stop the assailant, police said the detective sustained a graze wound to the leg. The woman stabbed succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The detective was taken to a local hospital with non life-threatening injuries.
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In October, Constantin Beldie was charged with aggravated domestic battery and attempted kidnapping after allegedly beating his wife in an alley, and dragging her to his car.
Court records show that a witness heard her screaming and she was able to escape, with the incident caught on surveillance video.
Prosecutors asked for judge Nowinski to order Beldie be held in jail, but the judge released him on electronic monitoring, while ordering him to turn in any weapons.
Though Pyron criticized Nowinski's ruling, a source familiar with the proceedings said the state failed to do its job in this case.
"The facts of this case are that the defendant was served an order of protection to stay away from the victim at the hearing and placed on GPS monitoring. The petition to detain filed by the prosecution stated no history of orders of protection, no prior arrests for assault or threats, and no weapons used," the source told NBC Chicago.
According to the NAADV, Nowinski also denied an emergency protective order in the high-profile case of 11-year-old Jayden Perkins, who was stabbed to death trying to protect his mother, who sought an order of protection against her eventual killer.
