Man charged in wife’s death to undergo mental exam

38-year-old accused of killing estranged wife

MOUNT PLEASANT, Wis. — A judge in Wisconsin has ordered a mental exam for an Illinois man accused of killing his estranged wife with a hatchet-type weapon.

Cristian Loga-Negru, 38, of Arlington Heights, Illinois, has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide and other crimes in the death of his 36-year-old wife.

Police said the woman was severely beaten Wednesday night after trying to hide at a friend’s home in Mount Pleasant in southern Wisconsin. The woman was later found bleeding in the parking lot of a Super 8 motel and taken by helicopter to a Milwaukee hospital where she died.

Officers arrested Loga-Negru at the motel.

WITI-TV reported that a mental competency exam was ordered Friday for Loga-Negru.