Pregnant woman killed boyfriend because he didn't buy her anything from shopping mall

 

A judge set bail today at $1 million for a pregnant woman accused of fatally stabbing her boyfriend at their Southwest Side home after they fought because the man didn’t’ buy anything for her at a shopping mall.

Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil set the bail for Miata Phelan, 24, of the 6800 block of South Talman Avenue, who is charged with first-degree murder.

The visibly pregnant Phelan, who appeared in court today wearing pink sweat pants with black stripes, a pink top, and black leather jacket, allegedly plunged a knife into Larry Martin’s left flank on April 30, prosecutors said.

Martin, 28, is the father of her unborn child and they lived together.

Before the stabbing happened, Phelan, Martin, Martin’s 8-year-old son and 25-year-old cousin, a man, went shopping at a shopping mall. On the way home, Phelan accused Martin of being selfish because he bought things for his cousin and son but not for her, Asst. State’s Attorney Glen Runk said.

Court records show Phelan turned 24 on May 1.

Runk said Phelan struck Martin while he was driving, almost causing an accident, and after Phelan drove to Martin’s mother's home to drop off shoes for Martin’s brother, she kicked and scratched Martin before driving away in his car, leaving Martin, his 8-year-old and Martin’s cousin outside.

The three walked to the couple’s nearby apartment and when Phelan arrived about the same time, she and Martin began arguing again and she locked the three outside, Runk said.

Martin banged on the door until she opened it and once inside, Phelan stabbed Martin in his side with a knife, Runk said. The boy entered the apartment directly behind Martin and saw Phelan stabbing him. The cousin heard Martin scream in pain and ran into the apartment, Runk said.

The cousin applied pressure to the wound and helped him outside to the sidewalk where Martin collapsed and the cousin called 911, Runk said. 

Runk said Martin’s 8-year-old saw Phelan as she stood over him on the sidewalk, screaming: “This is what you get for messing with me,’’ Runk said, quoting Phelan. “I hope you die, mother f-----,’’ Runk said, quoting Phelan.

Martin was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn where he was pronounced dead.

Asst. Public Defender Lisa Brean said Phelan is a life-long resident of Chicago, who is eight classes away from receiving a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Columbia College in Chicago. Brean said she is pregnant with the victim’s child and surrendered herself to police.

Phelan looked back at least twice towards the gallery during the court proceedings at her sister, Arnesia Phelan, who stood up and stared at her behind a glass partition of the gallery.

“I just let her see my face,’’ her sister said outside the courtroom, tears streaming down her face. 
Arnesia, of Moline, claimed Martin had been physically abusing her sister but she only recently found out when the 24-year-old canceled her baby shower this past Sunday, said the sister.

“We knew something was wrong,’’ said Arnesia Phelan adding her sister didn’t seem like herself lately.

Her sister said their family hadn’t even met Martin even though they lived together. “She was excited about being pregnant,’’ her sister said.

Brean said Phelan suffered from a swollen face and the judge ordered Phelan to be held at Cermak Hospital, part of Cook County Jail.

Phelan has a prior misdemeanor conviction for obstructing identification, prosecutors said.