Father of slain Joliet woman’s child arrested

A 30-year-old Joliet man, who has a child with a woman stabbed to death early Monday, was arrested Tuesday morning.

Christopher Beale faces a murder charge, according to the Will County online jail log. He has a child with Marcedes Flakes, 28, also of Joliet, who was stabbed Monday and later died.

Joliet detectives responded to the scene Monday, and multiple witnesses told police Beale was the last person seen with Flakes, according to a news release from the Joliet Police Department. Detectives then determined Beale was responsible for Flake's death, according to the release.

Beale had fled Joliet and was headed for Chicago. Joliet police alerted Chicago police, who were able to locate and detain Beale until Joliet detectives arrived to transport him to Joliet.

Beale was booked into the Will County jail about 1:40 a.m. Tuesday. He appeared at a bond hearing later Tuesday afternoon, where his bond was set at $2 million. He would need to post $200,000 to be released.

About six of Flakes' family members were present for the bond hearing. One of her cousins, who wished to not be named, said Flakes and Beale were separated, and they had three children together.

Her cousin said she was shocked when she woke up to a phone call and learned Flakes had been killed.

"I don't know what was going through his mind at the time," Flakes' cousin said. "She was loved by everybody."

Flakes' cousin and other family members said Beale drove to her house before stabbing her. They also said her children were inside the home at the time.

Court records show Flakes was twice charged with stabbing Beale. The case was dismissed both times. Records also show the two have a child together.

Beale was charged twice with battering Flakes. Two of the domestic battery cases filed against him were dismissed. A third domestic battery charge was amended to a charge of battery.

Residents of the Fairview Homes said the young mother was stabbed and taken away in an ambulance Monday morning.

“She was a sweet young lady, a sweet young girl with kids,” one of Flakes' neighbors said. The neighbor declined to give her name.

There was a strong police presence on Fairmount Avenue Monday morning and blood in the street in front of a residence on Fairmount near Cardinal Lane. Flakes lived up the street on Fairmount, according to court records.

Another neighbor, who also declined to give her name, said Flakes was stabbed about 6:30 a.m.

“Poor baby,” she said. “That’s so sad.”

Flakes was stabbed in the back and died at 7:40 a.m. Monday at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, according to a news release from the Will County Coroner’s Office.

The Joliet police said officers responding to a report of a “female subject down” found Flakes mortally wounded in the street, the police said in a written statement, which also noted they had identified a suspect in the case.