Updated: Wednesday, 04 Nov 2009, 9:07 AM CST
Published : Wednesday, 04 Nov 2009, 9:07 AM CST
Sun-Times Media Wire
Chicago - A man has been arrested in the brutal beating death of a 16-year-old girl Sunday in the West Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side.
The 22-year-old man -- who the victim had an active order of protection against -- was arrested Monday at 9:35 a.m. at Harrison Area police headquarters, 3151 W. Harrison St. according to police.
The man lives on the West Side and has not been charged as of Wednesday at 7 a.m., according to police.
Desiree Holmes, of 4043 W. Jackson Blvd., was pronounced dead at 11:05 p.m. Sunday at Loretto Hospital, according to a spokesman for the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.
An autopsy Monday found Holmes died of a laceration to the liver and blunt trauma to the abdomen caused by an assault, the medical examiner's office said. Her death was ruled a homicide.
Holmes had been hospitalized for a few days after suffering a liver ailment, according to the medical examiner's spokesman, who said she was the mother of a 3-month-old child.
Holmes was taken to Loretto Hospital on Oct. 30 just after midnight complaining of abdominal pains, according to police News Affairs officer Robert Perez. She died during surgery on Sunday, Perez said.
Authorities indicated Holmes was the victim of domestic abuse at an unidentified date. Holmes lived with her grandmother at the Jackson Boulevard address, Perez said.
Harrison Area detectives are investigating.