Man Arrested for Fatal Loop CTA Stabbing After Victim Gives Name to Police Before She Dies
A man has been charged with murder in connection to a fatal stabbing on a train platform in the Loop CTA area.
The victim, a 26-year-old woman who had previously dated the suspect, gave his name to the police before she died in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The suspect, Alejandro Arianna, 31, reportedly followed the victim onto the Adams and Wabash CTA platform, where he pushed her to the ground and blocked her from boarding the train before stabbing her multiple times.
The victim managed to escape but later collapsed in the street and died shortly afterward.
Officials have credited the city’s high-tech surveillance cameras with capturing the attack and tracking the suspect’s movements in and out of downtown Chicago.
With officers monitoring the 36,000 cameras 24/7, the upgraded technology allowed authorities to apprehend the suspect within 15 hours.
The victim’s identification of the suspect before her death also proved to be a key piece of evidence in the case.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to assist the victim’s loved ones with funeral arrangements.
Samantha Maldonado, who graduated with honors from a top university in Ecuador, is being remembered as a beautiful soul.
The suspect, Arianna, was denied bail at a court hearing and is due back in court at the end of the trial.
