By Brandi Makuski

A Stevens Point woman is behind bars after witnesses say she beat her pregnant mother in the parking lot of an apartment building on the 600 block of John’s Drive.

Makela Lange, 20, was arrested July 27 on charges of battery, battery to unborn child, bail-jumping and violating alcohol restrictions of her existing bond following a 911 call at 8:40 AM.

According to the police report, Lange allegedly threatened to kill her 38-year-old mother, then punched her in the stomach “eight to nine times” with a closed fist. Assistant Police Chief Tom Zenner said the victim told police Lange knew the woman was pregnant before striking her.

The victim was reportedly babysitting Lange’s two-year-old daughter at the time of incident, Zenner said, triggering a response from Portage Co. Health and Human Services. Lange and the victim live in the same building, he said, but separate apartments.

When police arrived at the apartment complex, Lange had retreated inside her residence and refused to answer questions, but yelled at officers through the door, Zenner said. She briefly exited her apartment sometime later, and reportedly began to film officers on her cell phone video camera, but fled the scene while police interviewed witnesses.

“She made a tactical error sometime later and went for a walk,” Zenner said. “Officers located her at 1:44 PM that afternoon and took her into custody at that point.”

Lange was reportedly carrying two open bottles of liquor when she was arrested near Union and Franklin streets, Zenner said, including a bottle of vodka that was still three-quarters full. Officers also found her in possession of someone else’s ID, a marijuana pipe and a scale with marijuana residue.

“Frankly we don’t see many battery to unborn child charges, so thankfully it’s unusual,” Zenner said, adding the condition of the unborn child had not been immediately reported.

Lange was ordered held on $300 cash bond by Family Court Commissioner Janet Roberts on Friday. She is scheduled to return to court on Aug. 8.