A convicted sex offender was arrested and charged with kidnapping and murder Saturday after the alleged strangling death of a 10-year-old girl in Illinois.
Antonio Monroe, 44, is facing charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder, two counts of kidnapping and one count of aggravated battery via strangulation after a young girl was found strangled to death in Rockford July 8, the Rockford Register Star reported.
A woman called Rockford police officers just after noon, saying her 6-year-old daughter told her a man took her 10-year-old sister. https://t.co/rIjVTAjE8g
— ABC 7 Chicago (@ABC7Chicago) July 10, 2023
Rockford Police were alerted of a possible kidnapping just after noon Saturday when a 6-year-old girl informed her mother she and her 10-year-old sister had allegedly been taken by a man while they were outside playing. The 6-year-old managed to escape and ran home to get help, the outlet stated.
While police were investigating the kidnapping, a citizen contacted police at approximately 12:40 p.m., informing them he had found an unresponsive girl outside of a home. When officers reached the scene, they began life-saving measures before transporting the child to a local hospital where she was later pronounced dead, ABC 7 Chicago reported. (RELATED: FedEx Driver Charged With Murder After Body Of Missing 7-Year-Old Found In Texas)
With the help of a K9, police were able to track down the suspect a few blocks from the scene, Rockford Police Chief Carla Redd told the Rockford Register Star. Officers arrested the man, later identified as Monroe, and took him to a local hospital to receive treatment for an unrelated issue, the outlet stated. Once released, police will transfer him to the Winnebago County Jail.
While Rockford police had no prior contact with Monroe, the suspect was convicted on criminal sexual assault charges in Peoria County 13 years ago, according to Illinois criminal records.