Sheriff hosting fundraiser in memory of murdered Des Plaines girl

The short life and tragic death of five-year-old Melanie Beltran has not been forgotten by the Cook County Sheriff's police who investigated her murder.

More than three years after Mila Petrov, her mother, slammed Melanie's head into a wall at the family home in unincorporated Des Plaines, and almost six months to the day that a Cook County judge sentenced her to 39 years in prison, the department will host a charity event - "Melanie's Ball" - in her honor Saturday.

"What happened to Melanie is something that touched this department to its core," Sheriff Thomas Dart said in a prepared statement.

Dart, who took office only weeks before the murder, has described the case as the worst example of child abuse he had ever seen. He keeps a department sketch artist's drawing of the little girl near his desk.

The event takes place from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 12, at the Whitney Young Magnet High School, 211 S. Laflin St., Chicago. It includes carnival games, performances and a basketball game between sheriff's officers and Whitney Young basketball players. Tickets are $10 for high school students, $15 for adults and free for children under 13. Proceeds will help establish two college scholarships in Melanie's memory.

The idea for the event came from Corry Irvin, head coach of Whitney Young's girl's basketball team. After reading about Petrov's sentencing in December, she contacted the sheriff's department about organizing an event in Melanie's name to promote awareness of child abuse.

"We wanted to develop a scholarship fund which would allow for Melanie's spirit to continue on," Irvin said.

For tickets, call the sheriff's office at (312) 603-4242 or the high school at (773) 534-7500.