A west suburban community is reeling after prosecutors revealed chilling new details in court Friday about a violent home invasion that left a 16-year-old girl dead and her mother seriously injured.
The suspect, identified as 35-year-old Juan Carlos Perez-Abarca of Orland Park, is accused of suffocating the teenage victim, stabbing her mother, and holding her at knifepoint before being shot by a Cook County Sheriff’s deputy.
The Attack
The incident unfolded Monday evening in an apartment on the 6400 block of Joliet Road, near the border of La Grange and Countryside. According to prosecutors, Perez-Abarca used a ladder to climb into the second-floor unit while his former girlfriend—the 48-year-old mother—was away attempting to secure an emergency order of protection against him.
That request was tragically denied earlier the same day. Perez-Abarca allegedly broke into the home and hid inside a closet, waiting for the victims to return.
When the woman and her teenage daughter, Emily Romo, came home, Perez-Abarca attacked. Prosecutors said he placed a plastic bag over Emily’s head, suffocating her, before turning his knife on her mother.
When deputies arrived around 5:30 p.m. for a domestic violence call, they found the suspect pinning the mother to the ground, stabbing her repeatedly. Emily was already lying motionless nearby.
Police Response
The Cook County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the responding deputy gave multiple commands before Perez-Abarca stabbed the woman again in full view of officers. At that moment, a deputy opened fire, striking the suspect in the leg. All three individuals—the mother, daughter, and suspect—were rushed to local hospitals.
Emily succumbed to her injuries Thursday night, four days after the brutal assault. Her mother remains hospitalized in serious condition, but is expected to survive.
Victims Remembered
Neighbors described the mother-daughter pair as kind and deeply connected to their community. Shamonda Hall, a close friend, expressed devastation at the loss:
“She was more than just a neighbor; she was my sister. She called me sis. Emily was innocent—just a kid. To take her life because of anger toward her mother is beyond cruel.”
Another neighbor recalled seeing Perez-Abarca lurking outside the building days before the attack, raising suspicions that the assault had been planned.
History of Domestic Conflict
In court, prosecutors revealed that Perez-Abarca and the victim’s mother had previously been in a relationship that ended badly. In the days leading up to the attack, he allegedly stalked her, showing up at her home and workplace uninvited.
Authorities believe the denial of the emergency protective order left her vulnerable to his escalating violence. On the day of the incident, prosecutors said, Perez-Abarca entered the apartment before the victims returned, setting the stage for the deadly ambush.
Court Proceedings
Perez-Abarca was discharged from the hospital Thursday night and appeared in court Friday in a wheelchair. He has been charged with attempted murder and home invasion, though prosecutors confirmed the charges will be upgraded to murder following Emily’s death.
A judge in Bridgeview ordered him held without bond at the Cook County Jail, calling the case “nothing short of a horrific act of violence.” Perez-Abarca’s next court date is scheduled for September 5.
Investigations Underway
The Cook County Sheriff’s Office released body camera footage of the incident, showing the chaotic confrontation. In the video, deputies encounter Perez-Abarca holding the bleeding victim at knifepoint as she screams for help. Seconds later, the attack escalates, prompting deputies to fire.
