Mount Prospect man charged after body of ex-girlfriend found in Busse Woods

COOK COUNTY - A 26-year-old Mount Prospect man has been charged in connection with the death of his ex-girlfriend, whose body was discovered in the Busse Woods Forest Preserve over the weekend.

Juan Pio Toto faces one felony count of concealment of a death following an investigation that began after the body of 23-year-old Atalia Pucheta Martinez was found in the suburban Elk Grove Village woods on Nov. 9. Police say Martinez had been reported missing that same day.

According to Mount Prospect police, Toto told detectives he and Martinez had an argument in the parking lot of their apartment complex early Saturday morning, during which Martinez reportedly fell and hit her head. Toto allegedly placed her body in his vehicle and transported it to a wooded area where he left her.

After consulting with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Mount Prospect police charged Toto with concealment of a death, a class 4 felony. He appeared in court Monday, where a judge ordered him to surrender his passport, remain in the state, and avoid contact with Martinez’s family.

He was also released under electronic monitoring due to Illinois’ Pre-Trial Fairness Act, which classifies concealment of death as a non-detainable offense.

The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office is awaiting additional test results before determining the exact cause and manner of death.

Police say the investigation remains ongoing. Toto is due back in court on Dec. 6.