CHICAGO, IL – A babysitter in the suburban Lisle district of Chicago has been implicated in a disquieting knife attack against two minors under her charge, leaving them severely injured and bleeding, according to law enforcement.
Jennifer Kouchoukos, aged 51, stands accused of inflicting repeat stabs on the girls, aged one and four, in their home in Lisle, Illinois, on Nov. 17, as disclosed by the DuPage County State Attorney’s Office.
The local police in Lisle responded to an emergency suicide attempt call at about 5:15 p.m. from a residence on Matson Lane, only to discover a horrifying crime scene. Officers at the scene found one child in the bathroom and the other on the kitchen floor– both soaked in their blood. Kouchoukos was found in the bathroom, wearing blood-stained clothes, in close proximity to one of the children.
The two injured girls, who had multiple stab wounds on their chests and backs, were rapidly transported to a local hospital. Later, they were transferred to Comer Children’s Hospital in Chicago. Kouchoukos, who appeared unresponsive to questioning or commands, was administered medical attention at a local hospital.
Investigating personnel found multiple blood-stained knives at the crime scene, along with an empty wine bottle and a nearly empty rum bottle.
Following her release from the hospital on Tuesday, Kouchoukos was taken into custody and transferred to the DuPage County Jail. She is facing multiple felony charges, including two counts of first-degree attempted murder, aggravated battery to a child under 13, and assault with a deadly weapon.
During her first court appearance, Judge Joshua Dieden accepted the state’s motion to deny Kouchoukos pretrial release, leaving her on remand with no bail until her arraignment on January 12. In addition, prosecutors have requested a psychiatric evaluation for Kouchoukos, who is from Naperville.
“This is an extremely disturbing case for all those involved,” State’s Attorney Bob Berlin said in a statement. “We are all very grateful that the injuries sustained by the young girls in this case were not life-threatening and that they both appear to be on the road to recovery.”
Berlin also acknowledged and commended the Lisle Police Department for their noteworthy efforts in handling this distressing case.
Likewise, Lisle Chief of Police Kevin Licko expressed appreciation for his officers who performed commendably by rushing into the blood-ridden crime scene without hesitation. He lauded their professional execution of their duty under such challenging circumstances.