Hanna City, IL: Woman fatally shot by daughter's estranged husband

By Journal Star staff
Posted Oct 18, 2009 @ 03:40 PM
Last update Oct 18, 2009 @ 06:48 PM
HANNA CITY —
A 63-year-old Bartonville woman was fatally shot by her daughter’s estranged husband Sunday morning in his driveway. The younger woman was shot multiple times and was taken to a Peoria hospital with critical injuries.

Authorities took the gunman, Joseph P. Saric, 40, of 13109 W. Smithville Road into custody about 3:15 p.m. He was walking along the roadway in the 7400 block of Martin-Webber Road, with a gun in his back pocket. He was talkative and appeared nervous, authorities said, and surrendered without incident. He was booked into the Peoria County Jail on a single charge of murder.

Saric had invited Crystal Saric, 43, over to talk Sunday morning, authorities said. The couple was separated, and she had been staying with her mother, Geraldine Worske, 63, of 4243 W. Fairview.

She agreed, and brought her mother with her. Crystal Saric pulled her Jeep into the driveway sometime before 9:30 a.m.

Joseph Saric fired at the pair as they sat in the vehicle. Crystal Saric, who was driving, was shot multiple times. Worske was shot once in the chest.

The younger woman, wounded, drove to nearby Smithville Bible Church, 12925 W. Smithville Road, for help. There were people inside the church, and they called 911 at 9:30 a.m.

Worske was pronounced dead in the vehicle at 11:10 a.m. Crystal Saric was transported to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center.