ABC7 Chicago has learned that Weber waived extradition Wednesday, which clears the way for him to return to Illinois from Indiana, where he was arrested, to be tried for his wife's murder. The Lincolnshire Police Department reportedly was informed of that decision at approximately 10 a.m.
Weber's estranged wife, 31-year-old Adelina Weber, stumbled into a Lincolnshire hotel Saturday, then collapsed. The mother of three had been stabbed in an outside parking lot across from the building where she worked.
Weber was arrested along a cornfield near Crown Point, Indiana Tuesday.
"It was a big sigh of relief. We were really concerned for our safety. Our [biggest] wish is that we hope he gets punished to the full extent of the law," Cynthia Trujillo, the victim's sister-in-law, said.
Weber, whose previous home was in Waukegan, was arrested Tuesday near 137th Street in Crown Point, after being on the run for two days. He was nearly caught at a Flying J truck stop Monday night. Although he got away, he was forced to abandon his vehicle.
"The suspect tells us that when we walked in the front door, he walked out the back door. So, we were literally maybe 100 or 200 feet away from apprehending him," said Sheriff Roy Dominguez of the Lake Co. Indiana Sheriff's Dept.
Police say Weber then spent the night sleeping under a bridge but was spotted by several passersby Tuesday morning walking by the side of the road.
"He was tired. His clothing has dirty and disheveled. He was pretty worn out. He gave up without much trouble," said the Lake Co. Indiana Sheriff's Dept.'s Roy Borchert.
Weber has a criminal record. In 1989 in Florida, he was convicted for the attempted murder of his first wife and kidnapping his 8-year-old daughter.
During Wednesday's proceedings, Weber seemed to be disoriented, not remembering when he was arrested or even his home address. Because the proceeding Wednesday was an extradition hearing, Weber did not have a lawyer present.
The next step is the 58-year-old's arraignment in an Illinois courtroom. Because he is charged with first-degree murder, he will not be eligible to be let out on bail.
