Illinois Teen Arrested for Stabbing Pregnant Mother

A 19-year-old from Illinois, Nedas Levukas, has been taken into custody on charges related to the fatal stabbing of his pregnant mother, along with other unsettling actions including harming the family dog and igniting a fire at their residence. The incident took place during a Facebook Marketplace interaction.

Levukas faces several serious charges, including first-degree murder, intentional homicide of an unborn child, animal cruelty, armed robbery, and arson. According to police, he allegedly stabbed 30-year-old Eliza Morales multiple times in her Downers Grove apartment on Monday.

It appears that Levukas was responding to a listing for a 1994 Ford Ranger truck posted by Morales’ husband. Investigators reported that he visited their home over the weekend to see the vehicle but left with the license plates still attached. Reports suggest he intended to return to retrieve an invoice for the sale on Monday.

Surveillance footage captured the moment Levukas met Morales, who was five months pregnant with their second child, around 5:30 p.m. During this meeting, she handed him a screwdriver. Shortly after, he re-entered the building with the tool, and subsequent video showed the door opening and closing, indicating a possible struggle inside.

Smoke was later seen billowing from the apartment. Firefighters found Morales near the door but, sadly, she was pronounced dead shortly after emergency services arrived. At the time, her husband was at work, and their two-year-old child was not in the apartment.

However, their elderly dog was present and suffered injuries, reportedly stabbed in the face and kicked before managing to escape through a sliding door during the fire. The dog received medical treatment afterwards.

Later, police discovered Levukas at his home in Westmont, where they noted a pickup truck in the driveway. They took him into custody late that night. Initially, Levukas claimed he was just returning the license plate and collecting the bill of sale but, oddly, surveillance footage didn’t show him leaving the premises.

Authorities executed a search warrant the following day and found boots and clothing appearing to have blood on them. Levukas eventually confessed to killing Morales. He stated he was upset about the truck’s condition, and during a confrontation, Morales had informed him of her pregnancy, which led to escalating tensions.

An autopsy revealed that Morales sustained approximately 70 stab wounds, primarily around her head and neck. The medical examiner noted defensive wounds and the preliminary cause of death as multiple sharp impact injuries. Disturbingly, soot was also detected in her respiratory tract, hinting at her attempts to escape the fire.

Although there were indications of possible sexual assault, Levukas denied any such actions. Alongside his other admissions, he confessed to starting the fire using items from the home and kitchen, combining household goods with accelerants to fuel the flames.

Morales’ husband, Gabriel, shared his grief, expressing how devastating it is to lose his wife and unborn child. A GoFundMe campaign supporting the family had raised nearly $30,000 by Thursday morning, with a note highlighting the immeasurable pain of their loss.