Wisconsin man charged with first-degree homicide in estranged wife's stabbing death

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Summary: Makayla Plaza, 28, was fatally stabbed to death on April 1 in the basement of her Kenosha, Wisconsin, home during an incident involving her estranged husband. Marckus Plaza, 33, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the slaying that occurred as their children, ages 2 and 4, were present in the house. He was arrested Thursday after hiding in a hair salon basement near the scene, reports say.

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KENOSHA, Wis. — A Kenosha man is facing a first-degree intentional homicide charge after authorities say he stabbed his estranged wife to death inside their home while their two young children were present.

Marckus Plaza, 33, was taken into custody Thursday following a manhunt that lasted more than 24 hours. He is accused of killing 28-year-old Makayla Plaza on the morning of April 1 at a residence near 75th Street and 22nd Avenue.

Police were dispatched around 6:20 a.m. that Wednesday for a welfare check after a third party reported hearing a domestic disturbance during a phone call with the victim. When officers arrived at 7428 22nd Avenue, Plaza answered the front door, identified himself as “Allen” and shut the door before they could proceed. An officer looking through a basement window then saw Plaza dragging a woman’s body across the floor.

Officers forced entry and found Makayla Plaza unresponsive in the basement with a knife in her left eye. She was pronounced dead at the scene. A cellphone discovered nearby had been bent in half. The couple’s children, ages 2 and 4, were inside the home and were not physically injured, though blood was found on one child’s clothing. One of the children told officers, “Daddy hit mommy,” and later added, “Daddy use a knife. My dad do it.”

Plaza fled out the back of the house and jumped a fence, sparking an extensive search that involved K-9 teams, drones, neighborhood surveillance video and a joint effort with the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team. A perimeter was established around the area, and officers conducted searches overnight and into the next day.

Early Thursday morning, police received a tip that led them to a hair salon near 75th Street and 23rd Avenue. Officers found Plaza hiding in the basement amid debris. During the arrest, he injured himself with a box cutter-style knife he was carrying. Two officers suffered minor injuries in a struggle and were treated at a local hospital.

Court records indicate Makayla Plaza had sought a temporary restraining order against her estranged husband in February, describing concerns about physical abuse and his access to knives. The request was denied by a court commissioner. Plaza was arrested shortly afterward on charges of disorderly conduct and battery but was released pending further proceedings.

Prosecutors charged Marckus Plaza with first-degree intentional homicide while using a dangerous weapon. He is scheduled for an initial court appearance Monday afternoon.

Makayla Plaza was a former corrections officer at the Kenosha County Detention Center (part of the Kenosha County Sheriff's Office), where she worked for about one month in 2023.

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