Chicago Man Charged in Wife’s Murder

 Posted on January 02, 2013 in Criminal Defense

Margarito Valdivia, 44, a Chicago man “with a history of domestic violence arrests has been charged with the murder of his estranged wife in Munster, Indiana, early New’s Day,” according to the Chicago Tribune. Valdivia is being held without bail for the alleged slaying, in which he’s said to have driven to his estranged wife’s home and attacked her and her boyfriend. Valdivia is alleged to have hit his wife’s boyfriend in the head many times, driving him from her home, and then went back inside to beat his wife. According to the Tribune, police were called to the home at 5:45am only to find that “Valdivia had barricaded himself inside. After a SWAT team was called, police sent a remote-controlled robot into the home, and he surrendered.”

Erica Valdivia was found in the bathroom with “major trauma” to her head including her face. She was declared dead at 10:04am that morning. Mr. Valdivio has been charged with murder and felony battery, and it’s not the first time that he’s facing assault charges. He has Cook County arrests dating back to 1990, according to the Tribune, “when he was arrested on a domestic violence charge and an order of protection was lodged against him.” He was also charged in 1994 with domestic battery, in 1997 for criminal damage and having a firearm, in 2000 for domestic battery, and in 2012 was found guilty of battery.

According to DomesticViolenceStatistics.org, Erica Valdivia is not alone. Every day in the U.S. “more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends,” and “every 9 seconds in the U.S. a woman is assaulted or beaten.” Domestic violence, such as what Mrs. Valdivia suffered over the years, is the number one leading cause of injury to women—more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined.

If you or someone you know has a case against domestic violence, don’t go through it alone. Contact a dedicated Illinois criminal lawyer today.

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