Adan Montano / Photo from Chicago Police
BY RUMMANA HUSSAIN
Chicago Sun-Times
Before killing a teenage guest at his roommate’s birthday party, a Southwest Side man brushed his teeth in front of the victim with the household-cleaning product “Fabuloso” and harassed her and other guests, Cook County prosecutors said.
Adan Montano had been acting “strange and belligerent” and was bothering 18-year-old Stephanie Serrano and others before he was asked to go back to his room during Monday night’s celebration in the apartment in the 2900 block of West 63rd Street, Assistant State’s Attorney Jamie Santini said.
Montano complied.
But not before punching his roommate in the back of his head, Santini said.
The roommate, who twice asked Montano, 37, to stop annoying people if he wanted to stay at the party, responded by punching Montano in the face, Santini said.
When the gathering started breaking up around 10 p.m. Monday, Montano allegedly emerged from his room holding a beer bottle in one hand and a butcher knife in the other.
The roommate and another woman, who by then were on the back porch with Serrano, managed to escape as they saw Montano coming toward them with the weapon, Santini said.
Serrano also tried to escape but fell down.
That’s when Montano started stabbing her in the face, arms, and chest, penetrating her heart, Santini said.
The teenager also suffered defense wounds to her hands.
Serrano’s neighbor was a friendly, vibrant young woman from a “very close, hard working family” that wore their Sunday best to weekly church services, said Serrano’s neighbor, Deborah Golen.
Serrano graduated from Bogan High School and tutored Golen’s children in Spanish, she said.
“She was just full of life,” Golen said. “Very happy, energetic, friendly. It’s just tragic really.”
Montano also tried going after the other woman, but the roommate stepped in and hit him in the head with a pool cue, Santini said.
The roommate eventually wrestled the knife away from Montano and suffered deep defensive wounds as a result, Santini said.
Several witnesses identified Montano but he allegedly fled the scene and went to the Chicago Lawn police station to report that he had been the victim of a battery.
He later admitted he attacked Serrano because the partygoers had beat him earlier in the evening and when he confronted them about it, they laughed at him, Santini said.
Montano was also identified by several witnesses, Santini said.
Judge Donald Panarese Jr. ordered Montano, a construction worker, held in lieu of $1.5 million bond Wednesday.
Montano, who wore plaid pajama bottoms in court, has a 2000 theft conviction in Georgia.
The knife used in Monday’s crime has been recovered.
— Contributing: Chase DeFeliciantonio