Cecilia Cuahua-Zopiyactle, a 33-year-old woman originally from Veracruz, Mexico, and recently residing in Waukegan and North Chicago, Illinois, was fatally shot on the morning of September 22, 2023. The incident occurred in the 1000 block of Victoria Avenue in North Chicago, where Cuahua-Zopiyactle was found shot multiple times inside a vehicle in a driveway. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation revealed that Cuahua-Zopiyactle's death was part of a murder-for-hire plot orchestrated by her ex-boyfriend, Seferino Calihua-Rodriguez. Calihua-Rodriguez, 35, allegedly hired Misael Chavarin-Plazola, 26, to kill Cuahua-Zopiyactle after their relationship ended. Chavarin-Plazola was assisted by Rosalio Diaz-Zarate, 29, who drove the vehicle used in the crime. On the morning of the shooting, Cuahua-Zopiyactle was preparing to leave for work when Chavarin-Plazola fatally shot her. He also attempted to shoot a second person who was getting into the vehicle but missed.
All three men involved in the plot have been charged. Seferino Calihua-Rodriguez faces charges of solicitation of murder for hire, two counts of first-degree murder, and one count of attempted first-degree murder due to the failed attempt to kill Cuahua-Zopiyactle's co-worker. Misael Chavarin-Plazola and Rosalio Diaz-Zarate are each charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder. The men, all residents of Waukegan, are currently held at Lake County Jail.
The Lake County State's Attorney's Office described the slaying as "one of the most calculated and cold-blooded murders we have ever seen". The case highlights a premeditated and violent act driven by the breakdown of a relationship. The suspects are awaiting further legal proceedings, with Calihua-Rodriguez scheduled for a preliminary hearing and Chavarin-Plazola and Diaz-Zarate set for detention hearings.
