Lucy Wrobel | Homicide Watch Chicago

Prosecutors: Matthew Rosario fatally stabbed Lucy Wrobel, 53, after being kicked out of Brighton Park apartment

Michael Lansu — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 13:39:24 -0500

Matthew Rosario / Photo from Chicago Police

BY RUMMANA HUSSAIN
Chicago Sun-Times

A Brighton Park man allegedly stabbed a woman to death because she kicked him out of her apartment.

Matthew Rosario also set 53-year-old Lucy Wrobel’s residence on fire, leaving her battered body on the couch, Cook County prosecutors said.

Her corpse was covered with a wooden door that had a lighter on top, Assistant State’s Attorney Claire Savaglio said.

Police officers also found propane torch on the floor and a steel claw hammer under the couch on Feb. 7, Savaglio said.

Wrobel suffered multiple stab wounds to her neck and blunt trauma to her head.

A month before, Wrobel let Rosario and another person stay in her first floor apartment in the 2500 block of West 45th Place, Savaglio said.

But in the week leading to her murder, Wrobel told her son -- who lives in the second floor of the two-flat -- that she kicked Rosario, 28, out and didn’t want him coming back, Savaglio said.

Hours before she was killed, Wrobel’s son woke up to the sound of broken glass and allegedly saw Rosario standing on the crate climbing into Wrobel’s apartment.

Rosario assured the son that Wrobel, who had a substance abuse problem, was “dope sick,” so the son went back to his apartment and fell asleep, Savaglio said.

When he woke up the next afternoon, he smelled the smoke wafting into his apartment and called 911.

Rosario allegedly admitted he stabbed Wrobel and took all his clothes to his brother’s house, telling him Wrobel had been stabbed and that her house was on fire.

Rosario, of the 4600 block of South Washtenaw Avenue, has previous convictions for burglary and attempted burglary.

Judge Donald Panarese ordered Rosario held in lieu of $2 million bond Friday.

Matthew Rosario charged with murder in Brighton Park stabbing death of 53-year-old Lucy Wrobel

Michael Lansu — Thu, 10 Apr 2014 09:01:38 -0500

Matthew Rosario / Photo from Chicago Police

Matthew Rosario has been charged for allegedly stabbing 51-year-old Lucy Wrobel to death in the Brighton Park neighborhood in February.

Rosario, 28, of the 4600 block of South Washtenaw Avenue, was charged with first-degree murder and is expected to appear for a bond hearing later Thursday, authorities said.

Firefighters found Wrobel dead in her burning home in the 2500 block of West 45th Place Feb. 7, authorities said.

Wrobel was stabbed in her neck and had head trauma, authorities said. An autopsy found she died of multiple injuries from a physical assault and her death was ruled a homicide, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

-- Sun Times Media Wire

WEEK IN REVIEW: 7 homicides reported throughout the city

Michael Lansu — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 09:59:47 -0600

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

Seven people died last week from violence throughout the city.

Six of the victims were shot to death, and a woman was found fatally stabbed in a burning Southwest Side building. The youngest person killed was 17 and the oldest was 51.

The most recent killing happened when 17-year-old Ronald Hayes was fatally shot in the 1300 block of West Hastings Street about 4:15 p.m. Sunday, authorities said.

Hayes, of the 1300 block of West Washburne Avenue, was pronounced dead at the scene an hour later, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

In the West Garfield Park neighborhood, 44-year-old John Serpe was fatally shot in the 4500 block of West Monroe Street about 5:10 a.m. Sunday, authorities said.

Police found Serpe, of the 2900 block of Maple Avenue in Downers Grove, sitting in the driver’s seat with a single gunshot wound to the left side of his chest, authorities said. He was declared dead at the scene.

In the Brighton Park neighborhood, firefighters found 51-year-old Lucy Wrobel stabbed to death in her burning home in the 2500 block of West 45th Place about 1:50 p.m. Friday, authorities said.

Wrobel was dead on the scene and an autopsy found she died of multiple injuries from a physical assault, according to the medical examiner’s office. Her death was ruled a homicide.

In the Auburn Gresham neighborhood, 29-year-old Corey Williams was fatally shot in the chest about 1:30 a.m. Thursday in the 8100 block of South Marshfield Avenue, authorities said.

Williams, of the 6000 block of South Richmond Avenue, died a short time later at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to the medical examiner's office.

In the Rogers Park neighborhood, 17-year-old Markeyo Carr was killed in a shooting in a McDonald's parking lot that left three others injured about 3:40 p.m. Wednesday, authorities said.

The victims had been in an argument with another group shortly before the masked gunman approached them in the parking lot in the 6700 block of North Clark Street, police said. The shooter ran off and has not been charged.

Carr, of the 6500 block of North Ashland Avenue, was dead on the scene, according to the medical examiner's office. Also wounded were a 15-year-old girl and two 18-year-old men, according to police, who said two of the people shot had gang affiliations.

The killings started when 20-year-old Willie Buie was fatally shot in an alley in the 7600 block of South Wallace Street about 2:10 a.m. Tuesday, authorities said.

Buie was standing with at least one other man when a gunman approached and opened fire, authorities said. Buie, of the 7000 block of South Lowe Avenue, was struck multiple times and died at the scene.

Additionally, 34-year-old Sixto Roman died Tuesday after being shot in the head Feb. 1 in the Logan Square neighborhood.

Roman and another man, also 34, were shot while traveling in a light-colored car in the 3200 block of West Armitage Avenue, authorities said. The other man suffered a graze wound to the head and treated at Stroger Hospital, police said.

Nobody has been charged in any of the killings.

The medical examiner's office has ruled eight February deaths homicides.

In January, Chicago Police reported 20 murders, and the Cook County medical examiner's office, which tracks homicides different, tallied 23 killings in the month.

Lucy Wrobel, 51, found stabbed to death in her burning Brighton Park residence

Michael Lansu — Sat, 08 Feb 2014 10:26:26 -0600

Firefighters found 51-year-old Lucy Wrobel stabbed to death inside a burning building Friday afternoon in the Brighton Park neighborhood.

The extra-alarm fire started about 1:50 p.m. in a 3-story house in the 2500 block of West 45th Place, authorities said.

Wrobel, was found inside her burning home with multiple stab wounds, authorities said. She was dead the scene.

An autopsy performed Saturday found that Wrobel died of multiple injuries from a physical assault and her death was ruled a homicide, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Nobody else was injured in the fire.

The Office of Fire Investigation and Area Central detectives are investigating.

-- Sun-Times Media Wire