Elmhurst Mother Charged With Attempted Murder of 7-year-old Son

Cheryl Luchetta, 41, of  Elmhurst, has been charged with attempted murder for allegedly giving her 7-year-old son prescription and over-the-counter medication. 

On Thursday morning, June 9, Elmhurst police officers responded to a 911 call after Luchetta allegedly found her son unresponsive at their home. Officers immediately transported him to a local hospital. He has since been released from the hospital.

It as alleged that the evening of June 8, Luchetta gave her son a mixture of valium, diazepam and Tylenol PM. Luchetta then allegedly cut her own throat and passed out. The following morning, Luchetta woke up, allegedly found her son unresponsive and called 911.

“Any crime committed against a child tears at your heartstrings,” DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said. “What makes this case particularly disturbing is the allegation that this young boy was intentionally poisoned by his own mother.

"I would like to thank the Elmhurst Police Department, particularly Detectives Wiehe and Rivkin and Officer Corrigan. I would also like to thank Assistant State’s Attorneys Demetri Demopoulos and Deborah Brewer as well as Steve Arp from the DuPage County Children’s Center and for their efforts on this disturbing case.”

In addition to attempted murder, which is a Class X felony, Luchetta has been charged with one count of aggravated battery to a child, also a Class X felony. She remains at a secured hospital facility in DuPage County and will appear in bond court upon her release. 

A Class X Felony is punishable by 6 to 30 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Patch reports on law enforcement activity using information provided by official agencies. Persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. If you or a family member are charged with a crime or cited for a violation and the charge or citation is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to contact karenc@patch.com and we will do follow-up reporting on the case.