Identity Revealed of a Pr3gnant Mother Sta66ed 70 Tim3s in Illinois After a Gathering — While Her Husband Was at Work

Eliza Morales.Credit : gofundme

New details have emerged in the fatal stabbing of a pregnant Illinois mother, who was killed during a Facebook Marketplace sale gone awry while her husband was at work.

ABC 7 Chicago reported Thursday that Eliza Morales was stabbed 70 times by a teenager who attacked her at her family’s apartment Monday night in Downers Grove, Ill., a western suburb of Chicago.

Morales, a 30-year-old mother to a 2-year-old girl, was five months pregnant with her second daughter at the time of her alleged murder, according to reports by local WGN, NBC 5 Chicago and ABC 7.

Nedas Revuckas, 19, appeared in court Wednesday, Jan. 28, and was charged with first-degree murder, robbery, arson, homicide of an unborn child and cruelty to animals. The animal cruelty charge reportedly stemmed from Revuckas also allegedly harming Morales’ dog, who attempted to protect her during the attack, according to WGN.

Police said that Morales’ husband, Gabriel Morales, had a pickup truck listed for sale on Marketplace and that Revuckas came to the apartment to purchase the truck but became upset about the condition of the vehicle, according to ABC 7 and Fox 32. Investigators alleged the 19-year-old Westmont, Ill., man “decided to take out his frustration on Eliza” and attacked her, according to ABC 7.

WGN reported that surveillance video showed Morales giving Revuckas a screwdriver in order to switch the license plates on the vehicle, but minutes later footage showed him approach the family’s apartment door with the tool behind his back. About 20 minutes later, smoke could be seen coming out of the apartment door, the outlet reported, citing police.

Police and firefighters responded to the scene soon after, putting out a fire in the apartment and discovering Morales deceased at the scene.

ABC 7 reported that police said Morales had attempted to stop Revuckas from barging into the apartment and attacking her. Revuckas told investigators that his victim had “mentioned she was pregnant” during the struggle but police allege that he continued to stab her dozens of times.

Morales’ mother-in-law Angelica Silva called the attack “pure evil,” according to ABC 7. “None of us get it — she did not deserve this,” Silva told the outlet. “No one deserves anything like this”

Gabriel was at work when he said he received a call that his wife and expected second baby daughter had been killed at home, PEOPLE previously reported.

“I’m gonna spend the rest of my life missing her,” the grieving husband told ABC 7 earlier this week. “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.”

Morales’ family set up a GoFundMe to help Gabriel and his surviving 2-year-old daughter.

“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 the fundraiser. “Eliza leaves behind a devoted husband and a precious, beautiful 2-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.”