Prosecutor: Geneva murder victim was stabbed 37 times

A boy killed in December along with his mother in their Geneva home suffered 37 stab wounds, including several that penetrated his skull and one that severed his spinal cord, a prosecutor said Tuesday.

The remarks came Tuesday during a court appearance by suspect Alejandro Cota, who faces murder charges in the Dec. 26 killings of Christina Chivara, 47, and her 13-year-old son, Damien Chivara.

Cota, 50, is accused of fatally stabbing the victims Dec. 26 at their home in the 2700 block of Emma’s Way. Cota was arrested that night.

He agreed Tuesday to remain in custody while awaiting trial on four counts of first-degree murder.

Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser disclosed new details of the killings Tuesday, including that multiple knives were used in the attack that killed Damien.

When police arrived at Chavira’s home that night, they heard a man’s voice saying that only he was injured. Mosser said Cota was located on the roof, and police found $5,000 in cash on him, which she called evidence he was intending to flee.

She also said Cota has a criminal history that includes entering the U.S. illegally after being deported, as well as domestic battery. According to court documents filed by prosecutors, Cota also served six years in prison for a 1991 armed robbery in Cook County; was convicted 11 times from 1999 to 2008 for driving with a revoked license; and received probation in Marana, Arizona in 2012 on charges of harassment by communication and unlawful restraint, in a domestic violence case.

Chavira is survived by an 18-year-old daughter, according to Mosser. Although the court listed Cota’s address as the same as the Chaviras, he may have lived elsewhere, she added.