A man is accused of randomly attacking a 64-year-old construction contractor on the Near West Side this week, stabbing the victim 12 times before running away and tossing the murder weapon onto the Eisenhower Expressway.
Freddy Pena-Bustos was working in the alley behind the 2400 block of West Gladys when 35-year-old Christian Gardner approached him around 7:45 a.m. Monday, officials said. The two men began arguing for some reason and Gardner allegedly pulled out a pocket knife with a three-inch blade.
He proceeded to stab Pena-Bustos 12 times, eight times in the chest and four times in the back, according to a criminal complaint. Witnesses told police they saw Gardner standing over Pena-Bustos before running from the scene.
Investigators found video of the attack and tracked Gardner’s movements before and after the stabbing, including time on the CTA. They also recovered a bloody knife from the outbound Eisenhower Expressway, along with discarded clothing suspected of being Gardner’s.
Chicago police officers arrested Gardner near his home about three hours after the stabbing.
Judge James Murphy III, noting Gardner is accused of “randomly” attacking Pena-Bustos, ordered him detained pending trial on two counts of murder.
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