Stephanie Serrano | Homicide Watch Chicago

Man gets 25 years for fatally stabbing Stephanie Serrano after drinking cleaning fluid at 2014 birthday party

Jeff Mayes — Tue, 14 Mar 2017 14:57:50 -0500

By JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Adan Montano | Illinois Dept. of Corrections

A Southwest Side man was sentenced to 25 years in prison for stabbing 18-year-old Stephanie Serrano to death at his roommate's birthday party in 2014.

Adan Montano, 40, pleaded guilty to murder March 15 before Judge Mary Margaret Brosnahan, according to Cook County court records.

On the night of Jan. 6, 2014, Montano was acting "strange and belligerent" during his roommate's birthday party in the 2900 block of West 63rd Street, and was asked to go back to his room, authorities said at the time.

Montano complied after punching his roommate in the back of the head, authorities said. The roommate responded by punching Montano in the face.

When the party started breaking up about 10 p.m., Montano emerged from his room holding a beer bottle in one hand and a butcher knife in the other, authorities said.

The roommate and a woman who were on the back porch with the 18-year-old Serrano managed to escape, but Serrano fell down, authorities said. Montano stabbed her in the face, arms and chest.

Montano also tried going after the other woman, but the roommate stepped in and hit him in the head with a pool cue, authorities said.

The roommate eventually wrestled the knife away from Montano, who allegedly drank the cleaning product "Fabuloso" before the attack.

Several witnesses identified Montano, but he ran away and later went to the Chicago Lawn police station to report that he had been the victim of a battery, authorities said.

He later admitted he attacked Serrano because the partygoers had beaten him earlier in the evening and when he confronted them about it, they laughed at him.

Judge Brosnahan sentenced Montano to 25 years in prison Wednesday, according to court records. He will receive credit for 1,157 days served in the Cook County Jail, and must serve three years of supervised release.

He was booked into the Stateville Correctional Center to begin serving his sentence Thursday, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Police: Murders down 50 percent from January 2013

Michael Lansu — Sat, 01 Feb 2014 15:19:33 -0600

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

Chicago had half as many murders in January 2014 compared to the first month of 2013.

Police reported 20 killings in the month, which had 11 days of subzero temperature and was one of the coldest months in recent years.

"The superintendent has said weather is a factor, but its not the only factor," said Chicago Police spokesman Adam Collins. "It neither causes nor prevents crime."

Overall, Chicago had 50 percent fewer killings than it did in January 2013, when 40 people were murdered; 47 percent fewer slayings than January 2012, when 38 people were killed; and a 29 percent decrease from January 2011, when 28 people were murdered, police said.

Nineteen of the 20 people killed were males, and the most common victim was a 19-year-old man. The youngest victim was 15-year-old Miguel Naverrette and the oldest was 44-year-old Edward Caridine.

Eighteen of the 20 murders were shootings. In the other two, Stephanie Serrano was stabbed to death at a Jan. 6 party and Caridine was found beaten to death in his apartment Jan. 22, according autopsies performed by the medical examiner’s office.

Three of the city’s 77 community areas had multiple murders in January. The Chicago Lawn community had the most killings with five. South Lawndale and Chatham also tallied multiple slayings with three and two, respectively.

The decrease in murders came in one of the coldest Januarys in recent years. The average temperature in January 2014 was about 15.5 degrees -- about 8.5 degrees colder than normal, according to the National Weather Service. The average temperature was about 26.5 degrees in January 2013 and about 30 degrees in January 2012 -- nearly three to 6.5 degrees warmer than normal.

Despite the colder temperature, Chicago still tallied a murder on 14 different days in January 2014 -- including one on the coldest day of the month when the average temperature was minus-9 degrees.

The city recorded 90 shootings and 98 shooting victims in January 2014 -- the lowest total in the past four years, police said. In the first month of 2013, the city had 158 shootings and 186 victims.

“After historic lows in crime and violence in 2013, January saw continued progress, yet much more work remains to be done and no one will rest until everyone in Chicago enjoys the same sense of safety," Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy said in a statement. "We are continuing to make progress, like the near all-time lows we saw last February and March, but it will become more challenging without better laws that help keep illegal guns out of our communities and punish the criminals who carry them.”

The Cook County medical examiner’s office, which classifies killings different, ruled 23 Chicago deaths homicides. Authorities determined three of the deaths were involuntary manslaughter, which Chicago Police do not count as murders in accordance with the FBI's Unified Crime Reporting System.

In the first manslaughter case, 52-year-old Joeann Smith fatally shot 65-year-old relative Willie Smith at her South Shore home during a Jan. 8 argument about whether the gun would fire, authorities said. She was charged with reckless discharge of a firearm.

In the second incident, a 31-year-old woman was released without being charged for fatally stabbing 38-year-old Danny Melendez Jan. 29 in the 2300 block of North Cicero Avenue, authorities said.

The third justified homicide happened when a Pilsen resident fatally shot alleged burglar Mario Viramontes in the 2000 block of West 21st Street, authorities said. Viramontes, 31, was dead on the scene.

WEEK IN REVIEW: Three shot, one stabbed to death in city killings

Michael Lansu — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 08:50:01 -0600

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

Three men were fatally shot and a woman was stabbed to death in homicides throughout the city last week.

Three of the killings happened during indoor disputes, and at least one police called domestic-related.

The most recent murder happened when 16-year-old Marquise Harris was shot dead in a second-floor apartment in the 6200 block of South St. Lawrence Avenue about 11:20 p.m. Saturday, authorities said.

Harris got into a dispute with his girlfriend during a gathering at the apartment and a male friend of hers intervened, authorities said. Harris then got into a fight with the acquaintance, who allegedly shot Harris in the chest.

Harris, who lived on the block, died at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County at 12:05 a.m. Sunday, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

On Wednesday, Willie Smith was shot about 7 p.m. during an argument about whether or not a gun would fire at a relative's home in the 1700 block of East 72nd Street, authorities said.

During the argument, Joeann Smith pointed the gun at Willie Smith‘s face and pulled the trigger — shooting him in the eye, authorities said.

Willie Smith, of the 500 block of North Des Plaines Street, was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he died at 9 a.m. Friday, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Joeann Smith, 52, was charged with one count of reckless discharge of a firearm, police said.

In the Chicago Lawn neighborhood, 19-year-old Joseph Brittman was shot in the back about 3:05 p.m. in the 6400 block of South Campbell Avenue, authorities said.

Brittman, of the 6600 block of South Bell Avenue, died at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn about two hours later, according to the medical examiner’s office.

On Monday, Adan Montano allegedly fatally stabbed Stephanie Serrano about 10:15 p.m. at a party in an apartment in the 2900 block of West 63rd Street, authorities said.

Prosecutors said Montano brushed his teeth with the household-cleaning product “Fabuloso” and harassed her and other guests at his roommate's birthday party.

Montano, 37, and his roommate then got into a fight and Montano emerged from his bedroom with a butcher knife, prosecutors said. The partygoers fled, but Serrano fell and Montano allegedly stabbed her multiple times.

Serrano, of the 8300 block of South Komensky Avenue, died at Mount Sinai Hospital about an hour later, according to the medical examiner’s office said.

Prosecutors: Adan Montano drank cleaning product before stabbing Stephanie Serrano to death

Michael Lansu — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 15:15:39 -0600

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

Stephanie Serrano stabbed to death at Southwest Side party

Michael Lansu — Tue, 07 Jan 2014 11:49:11 -0600

Stephanie Serrano was stabbed to death at a Monday night party in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood.

Serrano, 18, was at a party in an apartment building in the 2900 block of West 63rd Street when she got into an argument with a man about 10:15 p.m. Monday, authorities said.

After the argument, the 37-year-old man allegedly grabbed a knife and started chasing people in the apartment, police said. He eventually stabbed Serrano multiple times -- including in her eye and armpit, authorities said.

Serrano, of the 8300 block of South Komensky Avenue, died at Mount Sinai Hospital at 11:12 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.

The man initially fled, but later walked in to the Chicago Lawn District police station and claimed he was beaten, police said. He was taken to Holy Cross Hospital and treated for a cut to the head.

Police learned the man is the person suspected of stabbing Serrano and took him in for questioning at Area Central headquarters, police said.

-- Sun-Times Media Wire