Woman locked children inside Logan Square home before setting it on fire, police say

A woman locked the doors and took away children’s cellphones before stabbing three — killing the youngest — and setting their Logan Square home on fire Friday morning, police said.

Chicago police officers broke in and found all three children inside the burning home in the 3600 block of West Palmer Street about 9:30 a.m.

Police said the woman used a knife to stab the children before setting the home on fire.

The woman, 45, was arrested and taken to Community First Medical Center for a psychiatric evaluation, police said. Family members later told the Sun-Times the woman was a relative of the children. No charges have been filed as of Friday evening.

Jordan Wallace, 4, was found stabbed in the chest. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died, police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.

His siblings, an 11-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl, were hospitalized. The boy had been stabbed in the arm and was released from the hospital Friday afternoon. The girl was in critical condition with multiple stab wounds to the face, chest and back.

At the hospital Friday, the 11-year-old told his grandparents that a relative had locked all of the doors to their home and taken the children’s cellphones away before the attack.

The boy told Debra Davis, 67, and Julius Davis, 66 — the grandparents of the two youngest children — that he was running through the house, desperately searching for a way out before the police arrived.

The Davis’ son is the father of two of the children and stepfather of the girl.

“He’s devastated,” Julius Davis said of his son.”This is one of those things you can’t ever get over.

“There was nothing that ever led us to believe that she’d hurt those children,” he said. “This is completely shocking.”

The fire spread to an adjacent residence, where the roof collapsed, and a woman, 31, and man, 34, who were inside were treated for smoke inhalation and taken to Stroger Hospital in fair condition.

Police said three officers who rescued the children also were hospitalized in fair condition and were being treated for smoke inhalation..

The first building, which was brick, was largely undamaged.

Officers went in and out of the house as flashes from evidence cameras could be seen through broken windows.

Living a few houses away, Kevin Garcia’s family had to evacuate along with their pets. He hadn’t been home at the time but heard from family members that their attic had water damage.

Garcia, who has lived on the block for 20 years, has seen the children help the woman bring groceries in from the car.

“They were literally so little,” Garcia, 22, said of the kids.

He said he was on a video call with his mother when officers brought the kids outside before they were taken away in ambulances. He said the children had sustained severe injuries.

“It’s so sad,” Garcia said. “What a tragedy.”