Police: Woman cut baby's throat with power saw in Chicago's Little Village

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Tuesday, March 10, 2015
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CHICAGO -- Chicago police are investigating the death of a 9-month-old girl whose body was found Monday morning in an apartment in Chicago's Little Village area.

Police said the baby's throat was cut with a circular power saw, apparently because she wouldn't stop crying. Sources told WLS-TV, the ABC station in Chicago, the baby girl's name is Rose Herrera.

According to police, charges are pending against a 52-year-old woman, who sources identified as the baby's grandmother. Police said she is in custody at Mt. Sinai Hospital after she tried to kill herself.

"When I came out I heard a young lady in front of the door, and she was crying, 'When am I going to see my mom?' or something like that. And I think they told her to go inside because she was in shock," said Virginia Otero, a neighbor.

Chicago police responded to the home in the 2800 block of S. Avers shortly before 10 a.m. They spent several hours on the scene collecting evidence.

According to neighbors, a couple lived in the apartment with two grown daughters, each of whom had a young child.

"The daughter with the baby just graduated from college to be a teacher," said a woman who has known the family for years. "They're good people."

DCFS said it has not had prior contact with the family, and neighbors said there were no problems that any of them knew of.

"I can't, I can't believe it. I knew them. I knew them real good. We would help out each other," said Raul Chavez, a neighbor.

Police said both the baby and the woman were found by another relative.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.