Ill. Pregnant Woman Is Found Dead in House Fire, Teen Arrested in Suspected Homicide

An Illinois husband and his family are grieving after his pregnant wife was found stabbed to death inside their apartment earlier this week.

Police have since arrested a 19-year-old man who they say randomly attacked and killed Eliza Morales, 30, on Monday night, WGN, NBC 5 Chicago and ABC 7 Chicago reported.

Nedas Revuckas appeared in court Wednesday, Jan. 28, and was charged with first-degree murder, robbery, arson, homicide of an unborn child and cruelty to animals, according to the outlets.

The Village of Downers Grove said its firefighters and police officers responded to a fire at Morales’ apartment and found her stabbed to death inside. Police said Morales “suffered apparent sharp force trauma, was treated by paramedics, and pronounced deceased at the scene.”

Morales, a mother to a two-year-old girl, was five months pregnant with her second daughter at the time of her alleged murder, NBC 5 reported.

"The loss of a beloved wife, daughter, and mother — along with her unborn child has left pain that words cannot fully express," Morales' family wrote in a GoFundMe set up to assist with funeral expenses.

"Eliza leaves behind a devoted husband and a precious, beautiful two-year-old daughter," the victim's in-laws wrote. "She came into our lives with a kindness that felt effortless. She was the type of person who would give the shirt off her back to a stranger. Her generosity wasn’t an act — it was her nature. Eliza was a devoted mother — gentle, patient, and fiercely committed to her family."

Morales' family added: "She worked hard, not for recognition, but because she believed in building a strong, loving foundation for her family. Everything she did was rooted in love."

Citing the victim’s family, ABC 7 reported that Morales was at home cooking dinner when she responded to a knock at her door.

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Morales’ family told NBC 5 they were not familiar with who Revuckas was. Authorities told Fox 32 that Revuckas had responded to a Facebook Marketplace listing for a pickup truck posted by the victim’s husband; he confessed to detectives that he was angry about the condition of the truck and “took out his frustration on her.” An autopsy found approximately 70 stab wounds and soot in Morales’ airway.

The victim’s husband, Gabriel Morales, said that he was at work when he received a call saying his wife and expected baby girl had been killed, per ABC 7.

"I'm gonna spend the rest of my life missing her," the grieving husband said. “I can get every second back with her and just continue try to live through her for my daughter. And continue to be strong for my family."