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CHICAGO — In a troubling series of events, a man suspected of being a serial assailant has been detained after allegedly attacking six women in separate incidents throughout downtown Chicago.
Authorities have identified the suspect as 40-year-old Marlon Miller, noting that he was reportedly wearing an electronic ankle monitor during some of these assaults.
ABC7 spoke with one of the victims, who expressed outrage that her attacker was free to roam the streets, suggesting preventive measures should have been in place.
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“He shouted something offensive and then struck me in my left eye,” recounted Sherri Bester, one of the victims.
Bester detailed her experience, explaining that she was targeted just after exiting Millennium Station, when a man suddenly attacked her.
“He hit me hard enough that even with my glasses on my eye still did swell,” Bester said.
Bester soon learned she wasn’t the only victim. At least three women attacked in the Loop Wednesday morning, all apparently at random.
Chicago police arrested Miller on Wednesday just before 8:30 a.m. in the 100-block of East Randolph Street. Minutes earlier, he allegedly punched three women, ages 49, 50 and 62, in the Loop.
The 50-year-old victim told police she was on the sidewalk when Miller punched her in the eye for no reason, bruising her.
The 49-year-old victim told police she was walking on the same sidewalk when Miller punched her in the eye, too, damaging her $800 sunglasses.
The 62-year-old told police Miller punched her in the nose.
Miller has been charged with three felony counts of aggravated battery in a public place in connection with those attacks. Miller will be back in court for those cases on Dec. 17.
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Miller was apparently placed on electric monitoring following an incident back on Oct. 11.
Miller allegedly punched two females, of unknown ages, in the face near West Randolph Street and North Dearborn Street on that day. Officers later arrested him in the 100-block of East Lake Street.
Miller has an additional prior battery incident on his record from Nov. 25.
In that incident, Miller allegedly threw a Potbelly’s cup filled with milkshake at a 30-year-old woman as she walked southbound on State Street between Lake and Randolph streets. Officers arrested Miller in front of the Chicago Theater. The case is due back in court on Dec. 26.
The electronic monitoring program has recently come under scrutiny after the fiery attack on a woman sitting on a CTA train. The suspect in that case was also on electronic monitoring.
“It’s like the judicial system is failing us,” Bester said. “It’s not working, because we’re allowing these people to be back on the streets.”
ABC7 has reached out to the chief judge of Cook County to find out why Miller had been placed on electronic monitoring.
Miller will be back in court next week.
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