South Suburban Man Charged With Stabbing Woman
MARKHAM, Ill. (CBS) - A south suburban man has been charged with stabbing an elderly woman with a kitchen knife outside her home over the weekend.
Francis Costello, 55, of the 300 block of Briarbranch Terrace in the Timber Ridge Trailer Park, in Matteson, is charged with one count each of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated domestic battery and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, according to the Cook County Sheriff's office.
At the Markham courthouse on Tuesday, bond was set at $75,000 and a preliminary hearing was set for Nov. 1, according to a release from the sheriff's office.
At about 9:30 p.m. Sunday, the 70-year-old victim was pulling into her driveway after returning home from work, the release said. Without provocation, Costello attacked her as she stepped out of her car, pushing her back inside and stabbing her repeatedly with an eight-inch kitchen knife.
The victim screamed and fought back, and when she bit Costello's hand, he let her go and she fled to a neighbor's home, the release said.
The victim was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where she was stabilized, and was listed in good condition Tuesday.
Sheriff's deputies canvassed the neighborhood for Costello, who was arrested and allegedly admitted to detectives that he stabbed the victim, the release said.
Costello and the victim had a personal relationship of an unspecified nature, but the woman had not spoken with him for weeks, according to the sheriff's office.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
