Dad Charged In Deadly Double Stabbing In Skokie
Updated 10/27/11 - 3:15 p.m.
SKOKIE (CBS) -- A Skokie man has been charged in the stabbing murders of his daughter and granddaughter, police said Thursday
Miguel Renteria, 39, has been charged with two counts of homicide, according to the Cook County State's Attorney's office.
The victims have been identified as 18-year old Cynthia Renteria and her 2-year old daughter Jeiloni Renteria. Both victims resided together in Chicago.
Renteria is Cynthia's father and Jeiloni's grandfather.
Renteria just recently rented a room from the tenant in the apartment where the crime occurred. The only contact the Skokie Police has had with Renteria is a traffic citation.
The two victims were found in the first-floor apartment of a two-story apartment building at 4657 Main St. in Skokie.
Police said they were called to the scene just before 1 p.m. on Wednesday after Renteria called 911 and said he'd stabbed the victims. He also reportedly threatened to harm himself.
"The gentleman called up and stated that he just killed his daughter and granddaughter," Skokie Police Sgt. David Pawlak said.
A "sharp cutting instrument" was used in the crime, Pawlak said.
When police arrived, police found the man apparently unharmed. But the bodies of a 27-month-old girl and an 18-year-old woman were found in the apartment. They had been stabbed to death.
Neighbors said the murders astonished them. They said the family had lived in the apartment for two years, that the man pitched in to clear snow after storms the past two winters, that he hosted frequent barbecues and that there was never a hint of trouble.
A young woman who lives in the upstairs apartment said she wasn't aware of any fights or other problems in the apartment where the girl and the woman were killed.
"They said, 'We can't really tell you anything right now,' but they said something really bad happened downstairs," said Jessica Record, who lives upstairs from the victims' residence. "I was upstairs the whole time and didn't hear anything. I am so shocked."
Record said she was unaware of any problems with her neighbors.
"I never heard anything, nothing. I never knew any problems," Record said.
Added neighbor Steve Teelucksingh, "There are a lot of kids on the street, and they know each other, and especially if that little girl was involved – which is what I'm hearing – it's heartbreaking."
Martin Nateras owns the three-flat. Asked if he recalled any problems in the two years he had rented to the family, he said, "No … I never had a problem at all. They were good tenants and I'm very surprised what happened."
