5-month pregnant woman died after the teenager, who purchased the truck her husband put up for sale, stabbed her 70 times because he was upset with the vehicle’s condition; arrest
Illinois – In a shocking incident in Illinois that began as a routine transaction and ended in devastating violence, a 30-year-old woman, identified as E. Morales, and her unborn child were brutally killed inside her own home by a teenage buyer enraged over the condition of a used truck. Prosecutors say the attack was deliberate, vicious, and fueled by anger that spiraled out of control.
19-year-old N. Revuckas appeared in court earlier this week facing a sweeping list of felony charges, including first-degree murder, intentional homicide of an unborn child, armed robbery, aggravated arson, and animal cruelty, in connection with the killing of Morales, a 30-year-old mother who was five months pregnant. A judge ordered Revuckas held without bail, citing the extreme violence of the crime and the threat he poses to the public. Prosecutors allege Revuckas acted with intent to kill or cause great bodily harm, and that the homicide occurred during the commission of multiple forcible felonies.
The violence unfolded Monday evening at Morales’ apartment. According to court records, Revuckas had responded to a Facebook Marketplace listing for a dark red 1994 pickup truck that Morales’ husband had put up for sale. The meeting was meant to be simple: return the license plates and finalize paperwork. Surveillance footage shows Morales arriving at the apartment building around 5:30 p.m., where she met Revuckas and handed him a screwdriver so he could remove the plates. Moments later, cameras captured Revuckas entering the building with the screwdriver still in his hand.
Soon after, the door to the Morales apartment could be seen opening and closing repeatedly in what investigators described as “what appears to be a struggle.” Inside, prosecutors say Revuckas launched a ferocious attack. Morales was stabbed up to 70 times, primarily to her neck and head. Her unborn baby did not survive the assault. At the time of the attack, Morales’ husband and the couple’s 2-year-old daughter were not home.
At 6:09 p.m., police and firefighters were dispatched to the apartment after reports of a fire. When first responders entered the unit, they discovered Morales’ body amid signs of a violent struggle. She had suffered dozens of stab wounds. Prosecutors say Revuckas then set a fire in the kitchen, using items found inside the apartment, in an apparent attempt to destroy evidence. Investigators later went to Revuckas’ home in, where he lived with his girlfriend, and found the pickup truck parked in the driveway — still bearing Morales’ license plates.
During questioning, Revuckas initially claimed he had gone to the apartment only to return the plates and retrieve a bill of sale, insisting he left through the main doors. Surveillance footage contradicted that claim. After police found bloody clothing inside his home, Revuckas recanted and confessed. Prosecutors said the teen first claimed he stabbed Morales 10 times, but evidence showed far more injuries.
“The defendant was upset about the condition of the dark red 1994 Ford Ranger pickup truck that he had purchased and decided to take out his frustration on Morales,” prosecutors stated. During the struggle, Revuckas told investigators that Morales mentioned she was pregnant. He also admitted starting the fire. Revuckas allegedly told police, “They sold me a broken car and I didn’t know what to do. All I wanted to do was yell at someone. They sold me a ‘fu-ked up car’.”
Revuckas now faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison. Prosecutors emphasized that the killing was not an accident, but a calculated outburst of rage that cost two lives. As the case moves forward, the focus remains on justice for Morales, her unborn child, and the family left behind by a transaction that should never have ended in bloodshed.
