A man from Chicago's south side was charged Wednesday with beating his ex-wife to death at her new boyfriend’s home in northwest Indiana.
Margarito Valdivia, 44, of the 10800 block of South Troy Street, was charged with murder, battery with a deadly weapon and battery resulting in serious bodily injury, according to a statement from Munster police.
Police were greeted in the early morning hours outside the home at the Sutton Place Condominiums by the victim's boyfriend, who said he was assaulted by her ex-husband. He had a "large laceration to his head," police said.
Officers were unable to get inside the home to check on Erica Valdivia and SWAT officers were called to force entry inside, police said. They found Erica Valdivia’s body lying in a bathroom with "major trauma" to the head and face, and Margarito Valdivia was arrested without incident, police said.
Erica Valdivia, 33, of the 10600 block of South Avenue N in Chicago, was declared dead at 10:04 a.m. at Community Hospital in Munster, according to the Lake County (Ind.) Coroner’s office, which will perform an autopsy.
Police said Margarito Valdivia drove to the residence and confronted his ex-wife and her boyfriend. He struck the boyfriend numerous times in the head and face as he fled then beat his ex-wife.
The couple had been separated for about four months and recently finalized the divorce, police said
