Chicago man accused of using ‘large machete’ to fatally slash co-worker

CHICAGO — A Chicago man is accused of using a “large machete” to fatally slash a co-worker at an auto body shop before hiding the body in the trunk of a Cadillac, prosecutors said Friday.

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Martin O. Molina, 21, was charged on Friday with first-degree murder in the death of Felix Villalobos-Calderon, 42, of Chicago, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Villalobos-Calderon’s body was found in a silver Cadillac, along with a shovel, the newspaper reported.

Cook County Judge Susana L. Ortiz ordered Molina held without bail during a court hearing live-streamed on YouTube, the Chicago Tribune reported.

According to Assistant State Attorney Kevin DeBoni, Villalobos-Calderon suffered multiple deep cuts, including one to his neck that “nearly decapitated” him, the Sun-Times reported.

Villalobos-Calderon was alone in the body shop working on his Toyota RAV4 SUV, which was on a lift when Molina arrived at 10:30 a.m. CDT, the newspaper reported. Villalobos-Calderon had unplugged the shop’s video cameras so he could use the outlet for something else, but the shop was equipped with audio surveillance, according to the Tribune.

According to DeBoni, Villalobos-Calderon pleaded in Spanish, asked Molina to “stop messing around,” and said “calm down” before saying “I’ll leave.” Several loud thumping noises could be heard, the Sun-Times reported.

The first worker to arrive saw Molina covered in fresh blood, DeBoni said. The worker jokingly asked if Molina had killed someone, and Molina answered that he had been in a fight. Molina then asked the co-worker to get his car and move it to a garage door at the shop, DeBoni said.

Molina’s colleague agreed but instead went to his own car and reported a fight at the shop to Chicago police, the Tribune reported.

When officers opened the Cadillac’s trunk they found Villalobos-Calderon’s body, DeBoni said.

A “large machete” and another knife were found in a nearby alley and Molina was arrested, the Tribune reported.

Cox Media Group