A woman who had her neck tied and her car stolen Wednesday in Harwood Heights has died, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The 61-year-old woman was taken to a hospital in critical condition and put on a ventilator after the carjacking, Harwood Heights police said. She died Sunday night.
Harwood Heights police found the woman lying on her back around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, with a blue face and blood under her head, in the 4400 block of Natchez Avenue, according to Cook County prosecutors and medical examiner records.
One of the woman’s neighbors saw a man struggle with the victim and strangle her corpses, police said.
Police officers in the southern suburb of Crete arrested 24-year-old Reese Miller later Wednesday morning. Miller admitted assaulting the woman and pulling her over before driving away in her Toyota, officials said. Miller, who is from Urbana, wrote a note apologizing for the incident. Law enforcement officers found the note in the vehicle, which prosecutors read Friday at a bail hearing.
“I am deeply sorry for hurting anyone at this time, it seemed to be the only choice,” prosecutors allege Miller wrote. “I didn’t want to hurt people. It was never something I would have ever thought possible until the realization of reality hit me.
Judge Ellen Beth Mandeltort ordered Miller to be held without bail. His next court date is September 22.
A GoFundMe was started to raise money for the woman. $900 of a $20,000 goal was raised Monday afternoon.
This is a development story.
