A more than 24-hour manhunt for a Kenosha homicide suspect came to a dramatic end late Thursday morning.

Officers took 33-year-old Marckus Plaza into custody after he was found hiding in the basement of a salon near 74th Street and 23rd Avenue. He is charged with the murder of his 28-year-old estranged wife, Makayla.

Kenosha police say Marckus killed Makayla Wednesday morning, leading officers on a manhunt until his arrest.

Korey Williams, Makayla's boyfriend, said he and Makayla had known each other for years and recently started dating. Court records show Makayla had filed for a divorce from Marckus.

Williams remembers the little moments.

"That was who she was, every day that smile right there," Williams said.

On Wednesday, Williams said he received a phone call from Kenosha police.

"I was told the one thing I didnt want to hear, that she was no longer with us," Williams said.

Watch: Boyfriend of killed Kenosha woman, Makayla Plaza, speaks out on abuse she faced

After Marckus's arrest, Williams called our newsroom, wanting to tell Makayla's story.

"She did not deserve what she got in the slightest; she was the most gentle soul that she ever met," Williams said.

Williams told me he and Makayla tried to prevent the tragedy after what he said was a history of harassment and abuse.

"He would take her keys from her so she wasnt able to leave the house, he would listen into mine and her phone calls over the security system, hed take her credit card, hed lock her in the house," Williams said.

"I was the one that helped her file the restraining order that was denied by the judge," Williams said.

Court records show the petition was dismissed on February 9 after Makayla failed to meet the burden of proof.

Kenosha police said Thursday they had a history with Marckus, including an arrest for battery in February, but charges were never filed.

"So he was arrested, and he was released with a summons and complaint. I believe he may have posted bond, and he was released," Kenosha District Attorney Xavier Solis said.

Solis said that incident was not domestic violence-related.

Williams said he now hopes Makayla's story prevents this from happening again.

"If you feel like youre in a bad relationship and things are going really bad, you need to do everything in your power to get the help and seek the help that you need," Williams said.

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Kenosha Police believe Marckus Plaza killed his estranged wife, former corrections officer Makayla Plaza, Wednesday morning.

Court records obtained by TMJ4 News show that Makayla filed a request for a restraining order back in February. She warned that Marckus had access to knives and feared for her safety.

In the request, Makayla asked for Marckus to be removed from her home permanently or until the divorce was final. She noted she had most recently been a stay-at-home mom with no income who just started a new job ahead of the divorce. She also wrote about being locked out of her home, vehicles, and bank accounts on multiple occasions and said she had filed police reports.

"He has told me on numerous occasions that I am stuck in this marriage until God decides it's over, and I can't leave this relationship," Makayla wrote in her request.

Watch: Kenosha woman killed by estranged husband months after request for a restraining order was denied

"He tells me when I can leave the house and where I can go, he makes it extremely hard to leave the house with the children if he is not coming with," she wrote.

Just days later, her request for that order was denied.

A photo of Makayla was posted to the Kenosha County Sheriff's Office Facebook page in May of 2023, when they welcomed her as a corrections officer.

Marckus was arrested Thursday after a manhunt.

Quinn Gasparo lives across the street from where the arrest happened and shared a doorbell video with TMJ4's Ryan Jenkins.

Gasparo talked about why this story highlights a need for more domestic violence resources in the community.

"I feel like as a community, in a way, we failed her," Gasparo said. "As a female, I've been in a situation in which I've felt unsafe with a partner and I feel like there are more women than not that have been in similar situations that I could see could escalate to the extent that it did so I feel that it's important that everyone is in the need in our community and watch out for each other."

"It makes me sad to see that she was very much aware that her and her children could be in danger and that we had the outcome that we did," Gasparo said.

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The Pleasant Prairie Fire and Rescue and Police Department responded to the 2600 block of 116th Street on early Thursday morning at around 2:40 a.m. for a structure fire, they announced.

Firefighters saw active flames at the residence and forced their way in, believing there were still occupants inside.

They found a 34-year-old female and a 73-year-old male, who are believed to be father and daughter, inside the residence who were later pronounced deceased at area hospitals.

The Kenosha County Arson Task Force, Pleasant Prairie Detective Bureau and Evidence Team arrived at the scene after the fire was put out at around 3:43 a.m. to determine the cause of the fire, as per standard practice.

The investigation is still ongoing.

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Kenosha police captured homicide suspect Marckus Plaza Thursday after a manhunt that lasted more than 24 hours.

Plaza is criminally charged with killing his estranged wife, Makayla Plaza, on Wednesday.

The search ended near 75th Street and 23rd Avenue after police received a tip that Plaza was in the area. Authorities told people nearby to shelter in place. Officers with long guns swarmed a hair salon and evacuated workers.

Moments later, Plaza was wheeled out of the salon, covered with a white towel and placed into a waiting ambulance. Police said Plaza was injured while fleeing on Wednesday, leaving blood marks behind that led investigators to the salon. Plaza is currently in the hospital under police custody.

Watch: Kenosha authorities provide update on homicide arrest

During a news conference Thursday night, the Kenosha police chief and the county's district attorney confirmed law enforcement had a past with Plaza.

Kenosha County Jail records show Plaza was previously arrested in February for disorderly conduct and battery. State Department of Justice records show he has criminal convictions dating back to 2016, but those do not appear in other records because the convictions were allegedly expunged.

Court records show Makayla Plaza tried to get a restraining order against Marcus Plaza in early February. In that petition, she stated she filed multiple police reports regarding his behavior.

WATCH: Kenosha Police arrest the suspect in connection to Wednesday's homicide

She noted Plaza had access to knives in various places inside the home and car. She was in the middle of divorce proceedings and asked the court to permanently remove him from the home.

That restraining order was denied on Feb. 9.

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The Baskets of Joy project, which was brought to the school three years ago, collects donations year-round to provide baskets to children in the community. The baskets will be delivered to local organizations, including the Boys and Girls Club, One Hope Foster Care, and the Shalom Center.

Organizer Mrs. Tanke said the group set a goal to assemble 1,000 baskets for the holiday.

WATCH: Students at Saint Joseph's Catholic Academy assemble 1,000 Easter baskets for local kids

"Yes, we are really excited. We set that goal in January and we are very close," Tanke said.

Every child receives a basket containing a coloring book, crayons, goodies, and items to promote indoor and outdoor play.

Miss Kenosha, who is competing for Miss Wisconsin in June, volunteered to help put the baskets together.

"Yeah, this is my 3rd year helping with baskets of joy, and I think it is so important because we often forget how privileged we are and being able to give the simple joy of an Easter basket to these kids means so much and seeing how happy they are just from a simple Easter basket really means a lot," Miss Kenosha said.

She also shared a message for other students about the value of volunteering.

"I would say it's so important not only are you giving back to your community, but participating in organizations like these also makes you feel better and brings you joy," Miss Kenosha said.

Frankie, a student at the school, chose to host a birthday party at the basket-making event so attendees could help assemble the donations.

"I really want to give, kids who can't really have an Easter something so that they can feel like they have it," Frankie said.

People can support the organization year-round by sending monetary donations to Saint Joseph's Catholic Academy in Kenosha.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Its about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for TMJ4 on your device.

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