Times Staff Report

A Cook County judge on Monday denied bail for a 25-year-old Chicago resident who faces several charges in the killing of his pregnant girlfriend last weekend.

Judge Thomas Condon issued the ruling involving Reginald Lane, who is accused of shooting Jwonda Thurston in the head early Saturday before he barricaded himself in a Riverdale apartment at 14128 School St., Riverdale police Sgt. Dan Dempsey said.

Lane appeared in Cook County court in Markham on Monday. He was charged Sunday with first-degree murder, intentional homicide of an unborn child, three counts of aggravated kidnapping and home invasion.

Lane is scheduled to appear April 13 for a preliminary hearing in Cook County court, Cook County state's attorney's office spokesman Andy Conklin said.

Police responded to the apartment building about 1:30 a.m. Saturday after Thurston's sister flagged down a patrol car, telling police that a man with a gun was beating her sister.

Four officers responded -- two entered the building from the front and two others through the back, Dempsey said.

"Lane didn't know police were in the back," Dempsey said. "He heard them in the front, and he was trying to get out the back door. She opened the door and stepped out. Police identified themselves and he shot her right there."

Police removed six children from the apartment after Lane barricaded himself in the bathroom, Dempsey said. Authorities notified the South Suburban Emergency Response Team, which arrived at scene, he said.

Officers established communication with Lane, who subsequently surrendered without incident and was taken into custody, Dempsey said. None of the children was hurt during the standoff, he said.

Thurston had brought her children to the apartment and planned to go out for the evening, Dempsey said. Riverdale police had no prior contact with Lane, he said.

After his arrest, Lane gave a videotaped statement admitting to shooting and killing Thurston, police said.