Prosecutors on Sunday revealed new details about the moments leading up to the fatal stabbing of a man during an altercation between two drivers in downtown Chicago this week. Judge Kelly McCarthy ordered Alan Saenz Perez held without bail during a court hearing Saturday afternoon.
Assistant State’s Attorney Kathryn Morrissey told the judge that the victim, Jeremy Walker, was closely following Perez in traffic as Perez drove with his wife and brother in the car around 6:45 p.m. Tuesday.
Walker yelled an insult at Perez, then cut him off at the intersection of Dearborn and Ohio, Morrissey said. Perez honked at Walker, who got out of his car and approached Perez’s vehicle.
Perez allegedly grabbed a knife and stepped out of his own car. Witnesses said they saw Perez run up to Walker and try to stab him, but Walker briefly fended Perez off. At one point, Perez broke free and stabbed Walker in the neck, causing him to bleed profusely, Morrissey continued.
Walker returned to his car and drove a couple of blocks to seek help from a Chicago police officer on Michigan Avenue. Morrissey said that he was never armed, and investigators did not find any weapons in Walker’s car.
Meanwhile, Perez allegedly drove away from the scene without calling for help. Police tracked Perez down through his car’s license plate number, and cops found his car outside his home.
Morrissey said Perez initially “fled” to Indiana after the incident but turned himself in to Chicago police on Thursday.
Private defense attorney Raed Shalabi said Perez, who has no criminal background, works full time and “will be disputing the facts” put forth by the state during the bail hearing.
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