South Side Woman Choked With Zip Tie Dies, Suspect Confesses: SA

HARWOOD HEIGHTS, IL — A Harwood Heights woman who police say was left for dead after she was attacked with a zip-tie around her neck has died, increasing the criminal charges faced by her attacker.

The 61-year-old woman, Ma Operio, died Sunday evening, four days after police said she was brutally attacked by a 24-year-old man who now faces first-degree murder charges, according to Cook County prosecutors.

Reece Miller originally faced attempted murder charges along with a felony charge of aggravated vehicular hijacking, prosecutors said. Miller was charged after officials said Operio was found lying face-up in the street in the 4400 block of North Natchez Avenue in Harwood Heights just after 6:30 a.m. on Aug. 30.

Miller is described as being homeless and originally from Urbana, ABC7 reported on Tuesday.

Police said that a witness saw a person in a black hoodie on top of the woman, appearing to choke her before he got into Operio’s car and drove away. Police found Operio in the street with blood under her head and with a zip-tie wrapped around her neck, court documents show.

Operio was taken to Lutheran General Hospital, where she was in critical condition and on life support before she died Sunday evening. Funeral services are scheduled to take place on Saturday and a GoFundMe effort has been started to help the family cover funeral expenses. As of Thursday, the effort has raised more than $4,800 of a $20,000 goal.

Police began searching for the woman’s car after they received the 911 call and found Operio’s blue Toyota in Crete. Officers conducted a traffic stop and arrested Miller, who was the only person in the car, court documents show. Police then had the vehicle towed back to Harwood Heights, where investigators found a hand-written note inside the car which read, “I’m deeply sorry for hurting anyone but at the moment, it seemed to be the only choice. I didn’t want to hurt anybody. It was never something I ever thought possible until the realization of reality hit me.”

Police said they also found a knife in the vehicle.

Prosecutors said that Miller has admitted to writing the note found inside the vehicle and said he wrote it after carrying out the attack on Operio. He said he found paper inside the car and continued to elude police despite hearing sirens, court documents show. Miller admitted to struggling with Operio and told investigators that he intentionally drove around her body to avoid hitting her.

Miller is being held without bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 22.