A 54-year-old Cicero man is facing murder charges after a pre-dawn stabbing in unincorporated Stickney Township that left a 39-year-old man dead and a 38-year-old woman wounded, authorities said. The suspect, identified as Fernando Zavala, was taken into custody a short distance from the scene.
Scene and victims
Cook County Sheriff's officers were called just before 4 a.m. on Monday to the 5000 block of South Luna Avenue for a reported stabbing. They arrived to find both victims suffering from stab wounds. The 39-year-old man, later identified as Misael Martinez-Salgado, was pronounced dead at an area hospital, while the 38-year-old woman was treated and released, according to CBS Chicago.
Arrest after footprints in the snow
Deputies said the attacker ran from the home wearing a bright orange coat, which was hard to miss against fresh snow. Officers followed a line of footprints through the neighborhood and found Zavala roughly four blocks away, where he was taken into custody and booked on murder-related charges. The Cook County Sheriff's Office identified him as Fernando Zavala, according to FOX 32 Chicago.
Charges and court status
Zavala has been charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder and was ordered held in Cook County Jail following a first appearance at the Bridgeview Courthouse, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said, according to the Cook County Sheriff's Office. The Bridgeview Courthouse location is listed by the Cook County Sheriff's Office.
Investigators' preliminary account
Detectives said Zavala had been staying with the victims and got into an argument with Martinez-Salgado earlier that morning before the stabbings. Authorities have not released a possible motive and have not indicated that they are seeking additional suspects. Coverage in Patch notes the footprints in the snow and the bright orange coat that guided deputies to the suspect.
What happens next
The case is expected to move through the Cook County court system as prosecutors review the evidence, and no future hearing date was listed in public reports. Zavala remains in custody and is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
