Man, woman killed in apparent murder-suicide at suburban home: police
VILLA PARK, Ill. - A man and a woman were found fatally shot in a suburban home after an apparent murder-suicide.
Villa Park Police were called at 11:53 p.m., Friday, to the 300 block of East Monroe after receiving multiple reports of shots fired and for a Bischof GPS monitoring alarm.
When officers arrived, they evacuated two teens and the family dog from the home. The suspect, a 47-year-old man, and the victim, a 49-year-old woman, were still inside.
Police said they called for assistance from nearby police agencies and the DuPage County MERIT SWAT team before going in the home.
Officers found the man and the woman in a bedroom, deceased with gunshot wounds. The weapon used in the shooting was next to the man.
After further investigation, police identified the man as Winston Elguezabal, who was arrested on two counts of domestic battery on April 14, following an alleged altercation with the woman.
He was placed on electronic monitoring and was ordered to stay 1,000 feet away from the woman, her home and workplace, police said.
Winston was also told to hand over all of his weapons, ammunition, FOID card and his concealed carry license, police said.
The DuPage County State's Attorney issued this statement in part in relation to the incident:
"In this case, the DuPage County Domestic Violence Report, which my office receives in every domestic violence case prior to First Appearance Court, indicated that Mr. Elguezabal did not have access to firearms but did possess a FOID card. My office did not seek to detain Mr. Elguezabal pre-trial and he was released from custody with conditions. Those conditions included surrendering all firearms and FOID card to the Villa Park Police Department, no contact with Julie Elguezabal, staying at least one thousand feet away from Julie Elguezabal’s residence and place of employment and electronic monitoring. On April 17, 2024, Mr. Elguezabal surrendered his FOID card to the Villa Park Police Department.
"Under the Safe-T-Act, prosecutors must gather information about a case and decide whether to argue for pre-trial detention in a very short amount of time. In some cases, prosecutors must base their decision solely on the complaint and the Domestic Violence Report, which may not contain all pertinent information.
"In the aftermath of this horrific incident, I intend to meet with all stakeholders to enhance protections for victims of domestic battery and improve the manner and timeliness in which information is provided to prosecutors, while still meeting the requirements of the Safe-T-Act. In DuPage County, only 39% of all domestic battery petitions to detain pre-trial result in pre-trial detention. This seemingly low percentage demonstrates just how difficult it is for prosecutors to convince a judge that there are no conditions of pre-trial release that can be imposed to ensure the accused does not reoffend and should be cause for concern for all of us. Perhaps a legislative fix or internal remedy could improve this outcome. Perhaps both. Mr. Elguezabal’s electronic monitoring device immediately notified authorities that he was in violation of his conditions of release. Upon their arrival just minutes later however, authorities found Mr. and Mrs. Elguezabal deceased at the scene. In cases such as these, time is of the essence, both before and after the crime. I believe it is time to revisit the current law and take time out of the equation."
The homicide investigation is ongoing at this time.
If you or a loved one is feeling distressed, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The crisis center provides free and confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to civilians and veterans. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Or text HOME to 741-741 (Crisis Text Line).
CLICK HERE https://afsp.org/risk-factors-and-warning-signs for the warning signs and risk factors of suicide. Call 1-800-273-TALK for free and confidential emotional support.