Maine Twp. mom pleads guilty to killing 5-year-old daughter

A Maine Twp woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to the March 2007 beating death of her 5-year-old daughter.

Mila Petrov's plea came about one month after prosecutors agreed to take the death penalty off the table, said Assistant Public Defender Julie Koehler. But the plea comes without a sentencing agreement as to the number of years Petrov will serve, Koehler said.

Still, "there is a sense of relief that we have saved Mila's life and that the case will be resolved soon," Koehler said.

Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Rick Cenar says Melanie Beltran died after physical and mental abuse at the hands of Petrov, 32, who wept as Cenar described years of beatings and cruel punishments Melanie suffered. He said the last beating started when Petrov got angry after Melanie vomited.

Both Petrov and her common-law husband Carlos Beltran had been charged with first-degree murder in Melanie's death. But prosecutors say Beltran was at work the day Petrov slammed the girl's head into a wall at their home in the 8900 block of Kennedy Drive in Des Plaines.

Beltran, 34, agreed to testify against Petrov in exchange for his guilty plea to the reduced charge of aggravated battery. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison in July.

Cook County Circuit Court Judge Garritt Howard will sentence Petrov at 1 p.m. Dec. 10 in Skokie's Second Municipal District courthouse. Koehler said the hearing will include mitigation testimony detailing the physical and sexual abuse Petrov suffered at the hands of her own parents.

Daily Herald wire services contributed to this report.