Overview
- Prosecutors say a crew smashed a pickup into the Louis Vuitton on Michigan Avenue on Sept. 11, stole nearly $700,000 in goods, and a fleeing black Kia ran red lights at about 77 mph before fatally striking 40-year-old Mark Arceta.
- Seven people, including 35-year-old Kellen McMiller, are charged with first-degree murder under the felony murder rule, as well as burglary and retail theft, with several defendants still hospitalized and judges ordering others held.
- McMiller had four outstanding warrants from multiple states when he posed in a Peacekeepers vest with Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Sept. 5, and the governor’s office later removed the photo and said it was extremely troubled by his arrest.
- Pritzker’s office defends community violence intervention efforts, citing claimed reductions in violent crime, while critics such as a retired suburban police chief question results and fault vetting of Peacekeepers participants.
- Authorities report about $270,000 of merchandise has been recovered as investigations continue, with two suspects still at large according to prosecutors.