BERWYN, Ill. (WGN) — A good samaritan was stabbed to death inside a Berwyn grocery store Friday morning after the suspect punched a 14-year-old girl, police said. Police said Saturday a 30-year-old man was charged with murder in the fatal stabbing.
Fernando Barrios, 30, was charged with first-degree murder in the stabbing death of Humberto Guzman. He was also charged with attempted murder after officials said he stabbed another man, Kevin Landau.
Just before 10:15 a.m., police were dispatched to Valle’s Produce on the report of a fight.
When police arrived, they observed a man lying on the floor near the check-out area suffering from multiple stab wounds. Additional officers were directed to a nearby alley when they located another victim who was stabbed.
After a preliminary investigation, police believe a 14-year-old girl went up to her mother, who was working as a cashier, and then asked her how much a bottle of water was.
Police said a man became irate, accused her of cutting the line and began swearing at her. After the girl said she was not cutting, the man punched her several times in the face. The mother then tried to intervene and was struck in the head and ear.
A Good Samaritan, later identified as Guzman, 32, intervened and protected the females. The suspect began to walk out of the store, then circled back and stabbed the Good Samaritan multiple times.
Guzman was transported to the hospital where he died a short time later. Relatives said he worked for Vitner’s Snacks and was on a delivery at the time of the attack. Guzman was a lovable husband and a new father with a daughter who is just six months old, family said.
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Barrios was arrested about a block from the store. Another good samaritan attempted to stop the suspect and was stabbed in an alley. He suffered non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
“This is a tragic incident in which a Good Samaritan, a True Hero, placed himself into danger in an effort to protect a teenage child and her mother,” Chief of Police Michael Cimaglia said.
Tania Najera worked nearby at Las Quecas and witnessed the aftermath.
“It was crazy a lot of commotion, people coming in and out,” Najera said. “I feel really unsafe, to know that there’s people out there to punch on a girl and her mom.”
Anyone with information is asked to call investigators at 708-795-2160.