A Racine woman arrested in Arkansas has been charged with the brutal attack on a pregnant woman earlier this month.
Marielle Barrios, 38, is facing charges of armed robbery, severe battery, and aggravated battery to an unborn child.
Gheonna Lacy claims she was beaten with a bat as she left the group home where she works on January 15.
Surveillance video from the area shows two people wearing hoods walking through a home’s backyard just before yelling is heard.
According to the criminal complaint, Barrios and the victim knew each other. The woman informed investigators that Barrios was wearing a face mask that came off at some point during the attack, revealing her identity. She told authorities that she heard Barrios say, “Beat the baby out,” and “Kill that baby,” while passing an aluminum bat back and forth with another suspect wearing a hoodie and face mask, whom Lacy described as a man.
While on the ground, the victim informed authorities that Barrios searched through her pockets and stole both her and her boss’s cellphones. She claims she lost consciousness during the attack, and prosecutors say investigators noticed a prominent bruise on her stomach “consistent with a shoe impression.”
According to the lawsuit, the next day, Barrios delivered a statement to the police department’s front desk, denying the attack and calling the victim’s allegation fraudulent.
Barrios was arrested in Arkansas on January 23.
Racine police arrested Melvina Lewis, a second woman in Arkansas, for harboring or helping a felon.
