Man charged with killing 10-year-old girl in Rockford held on $5 million bail
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The registered sex offender accused of kidnapping and killing a 10-year-old girl in Rockford made his first court appearance on Tuesday, as prosecutors laid out chilling details in the case.
Antonio Monroe, 44, of Blue Island, was charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, and aggravated battery in the slaying of 10-year-old Destiny Huggins from Rockford and the abduction of her 6-year-old sister, who was able to escape.
Prosecutors revealed Tuesday that Monroe has a lengthy criminal history involving multiple victims and multiple violent attempts.
Ashley Taylor was asked what justice means for her niece: "Him rotting in hell."
Taylor is asking the community to honor her niece in the only way she knows how.
"Know that she likes pink, pink and purple, and dancing. If you want to celebrate her, play some music," she said.
On Saturday, when Monroe grabbed them, Destiny and her younger sister were playing outside their Rockford home.
"You took away somebody that was precious, somebody that liked to play outside, somebody that enjoyed the Rock House [a Rockford non-profit for inner city kids]. She was a good girl playing with her sisters," Taylor said.
In court, prosecutors said Monroe lured both girls to the backyard of an abandoned home in Rockford, promising them money, and attacked them.
Destiny's 6-year-old sister was choked but ran away and alerted her parents. Destiny couldn't escape.
Taylor said Destiny protected her sister in her final moments
"Being a big sister, you're going to protect your little sister," Taylor said. "I'm glad she got away. Unfortunately, my other niece didn't."
A K-9 officer used Destiny's scent to track down and arrest Monroe, who was a few blocks away.
Monroe's criminal history dates back to the late 1990s.
In court, prosecutors said he is also being investigated concerning a woman's death in Schaumburg.
Schaumburg police said, on July 5, a woman named Natalie Negray was found dead in a hotel room. A police spokesperson told CBS 2's Dana Kozlov that Monroe was with Negray the day she was found but wouldn't give any further details. It's unclear how Negray knew Monroe.
The manner of death is being investigated by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office, and Schaumburg police said they are working with Rockford Police due to evidence that suggests Monroe was with Negray before she was found dead. She would have turned 25 on Tuesday.
Monroe is also on the Illinois sex offender registry, convicted of sexual assault in 2010.
In that case, prosecutors said Monroe offered a 19-year-old woman a ride from an aquatic center and then raped her at knifepoint in an abandoned building in Peoria County.
He was sentenced to six years in prison and served three years, followed by mandatory supervised release.
"The amount of crime that's going around here, people need to open up their eyes and pay attention to your babies," Taylor said.
Monroe is being held on a $5 million bond. He's due back in court next month.
