Gilda Miller | Chicago police
CHICAGO - A Chicago woman is facing several felony charges after prosecutors said she lured a man into a vehicle, took hundreds of dollars from him and tried to force him out of the car when he demanded his money back.
What we know:
Gilda Miller, 33, was arrested by Chicago police on Dec. 9 and charged with robbery, kidnapping by deceit and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Prosecutors said the incident happened around 12:45 p.m. on Dec. 2 near the 3800 block of West Kedzie Avenue. Investigators say the victim was walking when Miller, sitting in the passenger seat of a Jeep, asked him for money, claiming her 12-year-old daughter needed insulin.
Authorities said the victim initially declined but agreed to get into the vehicle after Miller offered to take him to a bank and let him photograph the car's license plate and her driver's license. The vehicle, driven by another man, went to a nearby PNC bank where the victim withdrew $500 from a drive-through ATM and handed the money to Miller, police said.
According to investigators, Miller then demanded more money. When the victim refused and asked for his cash back, the vehicle stopped at a 7-Eleven convenience store. Surveillance footage allegedly shows Miller and the driver attempting to pull the victim from the back seat by his arms and legs while Miller’s daughter punched him in the head.
Police said the vehicle drove away with the rear door ajar before stopping again. Miller allegedly returned $120 to the victim and told him that was all the money she would give back. The vehicle then left the area.
The victim later reported the incident to police and provided investigators with photographs he had taken of the license plate and Miller’s identification. Detectives recovered surveillance footage and later conducted a photo lineup, where the victim identified Miller as the offender, authorities said.
Investigators tracked the vehicle through license plate readers and learned it had fled from police in another district days later. On Dec. 9, Miller was arrested after detectives located her near the 4600 block of North Harding Avenue.
Police said the Jeep Compass was a Hertz rental vehicle that was overdue and rented in Miller’s name.
During a post-Miranda interview, prosecutors said Miller admitted lying about her daughter needing insulin to obtain money and acknowledged using the same story on previous occasions. She denied intending to steal the money and claimed she returned it, police said.
The Source: The information in this article came from documents filed in Cook County circuit court and the Chicago Police Department.