Kenosha homicide; man charged in estranged wife's death, still at large

KENOSHA, Wis. - A man who is still wanted in a Kenosha manhunt has been charged with homicide after a woman was found dead Wednesday morning, April 1.

What we know:

Marckus "L.A." Plaza, 33, has been charged with one count of first-degree intentional homicide — use of a dangerous weapon.

According to a criminal complaint, officers responded around 6:20 a.m. to a home near 75th Street and 22nd Avenue for a welfare check after a caller reported hearing a disturbance involving Plaza and the female victim.

Police say when officers arrived, Plaza answered the door, identified himself as "Allen," then shut the door. An officer later saw Plaza dragging a body through a basement window, according to the complaint.

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Investigators say officers forced entry and found the victim dead in the basement. The complaint states officers observed signs of a struggle and that the woman had been stabbed.

Officers also found a cellphone in the basement bent in half.

Dig deeper:

Two young children — identified as Plaza’s and the victim’s shared children — were inside the home. One child told officers, "Daddy hit mommy," according to the complaint. Investigators say one child was in the basement with the victim, while another had blood on their clothing.

Per the complaint, one child told investigators, "Momma got dead." The child also told investigators, "daddy use a knife, my dad do it. He put knife in [mommy’s] forehead."

Police say Plaza was seen on video jumping a fence into a nearby backyard while wearing a white tank top and dark pants. He remains at large.

Court records show a judge has issued a $750,000 cash warrant for Plaza.

What's next:

If convicted, he faces life in prison.