A fundraiser has collected $6,000 so far to help support a 29-year-old woman’s two kids after their mother was killed by her ex-husband on Valentine’s Day in Waukegan.
An autopsy showed Meztli Galindo, 29, of Waukegan, died as a result of multiple sharp force injuries, according to Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek.
Dispatchers received a 911 call on February 14 from 31-year-old Jose A. Alvarado-Ramirez reporting that his ex-wife was unresponsive inside a vehicle.
The Waukegan Police Department and Waukegan Fire Department responded to the call around 6:45 a.m. in the 500 block of Lakehurst Road.
Waukegan Police Commander Edgar Navarro said officers responded and located Galindo unresponsive in a parked white sedan.
Paramedics arrived and determined the woman was dead at the scene. Friends of Galindo said she was a mother of two children.
The Major Crime Scene Unit and Criminal Investigations Division (CID) detectives were called to investigate.
Detectives interviewed Alvarado-Ramirez, who lives in the 500 block of Lakehurst Road, which is the same block where the murder occurred. Detectives learned he was Galindo’s estranged ex-husband.
Police conferred with the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office based on the evidence and they approved first-degree murder charges against the man.
A GoFundMe, started by four family friends, has already raised $6,000 in one day as of Monday morning.
The money raised will be going to Galindo’s mother, who has assumed the role of guardian of Galindo’s two children, who are in “desperate need of help during this trying time.” The money will also be going towards funeral expenses.
“For anyone who did not know Mez, she was a kind spirit who helped others whether they were a friend or a stranger and no matter how long they had been in her life. It was never an inconvenience for her to help anyone in need,” the GoFundMe said.
“She was a devoted mother who only wanted to be the best for her kids and was actively trying to further herself and continue her education. Her loss has affected the lives of many, and we are all lost without her bright light,” the post added.
Navarro did not release the circumstances leading up to the murder but did say detectives are classifying it as a domestic violence-related incident. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 9.
Alvarado-Ramirez is being held in the Lake County jail on a $2 million bond. He will be required to post $200,000 cash in order to be released on bail.
The homicide remains under investigation by the Waukegan Police Department and Lake County Coroner’s Office.