An Illinois family is reeling after a pregnant woman was allegedly stabbed to death inside her apartment by a man she did not know — an attack police say began with a simple knock at the door.
Eliza Morales, 30, was found fatally wounded Monday night inside her Downers Grove apartment after firefighters and police responded to reports of a fire, according to local outlets including WGN, NBC 5 Chicago, and ABC 7 Chicago. Morales, who was five months pregnant, was pronounced dead at the scene after suffering what police described as sharp force trauma.
Her unborn child also died.
Police have charged Nedas Revuckas, 19, with first-degree murder, robbery, arson, homicide of an unborn child, and cruelty to animals. Revuckas appeared in court Wednesday, Jan. 28. Authorities have not announced a motive and say the attack appears to have been random.
According to Morales’ family, she was home cooking dinner when she answered a knock at her door. Family members told NBC 5 they did not know Revuckas and had no prior connection to him. The Downers Grove Police Department has not said why Morales was targeted.
Morales is survived by her husband, Gabriel Morales, and their young daughter, who is just a year old. Gabriel was at work when he received the call that his wife — and their expected baby girl — had been killed.
“I’m gonna spend the rest of my life missing her,” he told ABC 7. “I can get every second back with her and just continue to try to live through her for my daughter. And continue to be strong for my family.”
In a GoFundMe created to help with funeral expenses, Morales’ family described a woman defined by kindness, generosity, and devotion to her family.
“The loss of a beloved wife, daughter, and mother — along with her unborn child — has left pain that words cannot fully express,” the family wrote.
“Eliza leaves behind a devoted husband and a precious, beautiful daughter,” her in-laws added. “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.”
They remembered her as a gentle, patient mother who worked tirelessly to build a loving home, never for praise, but out of love.
