An Arkansas woman showed little remorse and even smiled for the camera while posing for her mugshot after she was arrested for beating a mother of two — who happened to be pregnant with her boyfriend’s child — with a metal baseball bat.
The crime was captured on surveillance footage, which showed two people chasing the victim, Gheonna Lacy, as she tried to leave work in the early morning of January 15, in Wisconsin, according to WISN. Investigators said that Lacy ended up with cuts to her face, as well as a bruised stomach, as a result from the attack.
Following the incident, Marielle Barrios was arrested in Arkansas on Friday, January 23, and charged with armed robbery with use of force, substantial battery and attempted aggravated battery to an unborn child.
Barrios, 28, didn’t seem to regret the alleged beating when she was arrested, as she donned a large smile while posing for her mugshot.
A second woman in Arkansas, who has since been identified as Melvina Lewis, was also arrested for harboring or aiding a felon, according to WDJT. Meanwhile, police are still looking for the second person who allegedly beat Lacy up earlier this month as of Wednesday, January 28.
“Beat the baby out,” Barrios reportedly instructed her accomplice as they followed Lacy, who was headed to her car, according to a criminal complaint viewed by WISN. Barrios allegedly added, “Kill the baby.”
While speaking to police, Lacy said that she is pregnant with Barrios’ boyfriend’s baby, according to WISN.
Lacy further reflected on the experience while speaking to WISN, explaining that she was outside of a group home where she is employed as a caregiver when she was attacked. She said that Barrios and a man approached her from behind and attacked her with a bat, adding that they attempted to hide their identities by wearing masks. Lacy said she believed she was attacked due to a dispute she had with Barrios, claiming that Barrios was stalking her.
“They just immediately knocked me to the ground,” Lacy recalled. “Swinging the bat, stomping me with their feet.”
Lacy also said she believed that Barrios wanted to hurt her child, so she tried to protect her stomach during the attack.
“As a pregnant person, you feel like you’re safe, like no one is going to touch you,” Lacy said. “It replays in my head every time I close my eyes.”
WDJT reported that Barrios walked into a local police station to drop off a statement, in which she denied she was involved in the attack and called Lacy’s claim that she was her attacker false. However, Lacy allegedly identified Barrios during the attack when her face mask came down during the beating.
Barrios is currently in custody, and her bond has not been set, according to online records viewed by Us Weekly.
The Hempstead County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment. It is not currently clear if Barrios has entered a plea or retained legal representation following her arrest.
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