Prosecutors Say Grandma Planned Acid Attack

Chicago police say women face battery charges for Logan Square attack

A Cicero grandmother allegedly masterminded a disfiguring acid attack on a woman last July because she believed the woman was seeing her ex-husband, a prosecutor said in court Sunday.

Chicago police charged an additional four offenders for the attack of a 48-year-old woman who was robbed outside her residence on the 2000 block of West Altgeld after a caustic liquid was thrown in her face. 

Linda Dirzo, 58, of the 4500 block of south Justine St., Ofelia Garcia, 59, of Cicero, Maria Olvera-Garcia, 35, also of Cicero and a 16 year-old juvenile all face one count each of armed robbery and heinous battery.  Charges were approved Nov. 8th.

Garcia allegedly planned the assault by three youths, one of whom threw acid at Esperanza Medina, 48, said prosecutor Karen Sullivan.

Two juveniles  were charged in August after detectives used tips and video surveillance to identify the suspects, one of whom had ran  off to California.

The social worker suffered third-degree burns on 25 percent of her body; she had multiple skin grafts, and might lose sight in an eye, Sullivan said.

Judge Laura Sullivan set Garcia's bail at $750,000 and set bail at $250,000 for an alleged co-conspirator.

Dirzo admitted driving the three youths, and video surveillance shows her dropping them off.

Two females and a male, all juveniles, accosted Medina with a bat and a bottle of acid, then took her purse. 

Garcia appeared in court via closed-circuit TV, saying in Spanish: "I really have nothing to do with this."

The women are charged with Class X heinous battery and armed robbery.

Bail was set at $250,000 Saturday for Maria Olvera-Garcia, also accused of driving the group. A 16-year-old awaits a hearing. Two youths were charged in August.
 
The juvenile is in a detention center awaiting a hearing. 

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