A man from Illinois left behind an apology note inside a stolen vehicle, expressing remorse following the death of a woman whose throat was zip-tied.
Reese Miller, 24, was apprehended on August 30 while driving a blue Toyota Scion registered to Ma L. Operio, a 61-year-old woman, just three hours after she was discovered with a zip-tie strangling her neck, impairing her ability to breathe, as reported by the Harwood Heights Police Department.
Operio succumbed to her injuries four days later.
Inside the vehicle, the police discovered a knife along with an apology note penned by Miller. In the note, he expressed regret. He wrote, “[I’m] deeply sorry for hurting anyone at the moment, it seemed to be the only choice I didn’t want to hurt people. It was never something I ever thought possible until the realization of reality hit me.”
Miller admitted to the crime and has been charged with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated vehicular hijacking.
Police found Operio outside her home in Harwood Heights around 6:30 a.m., her throat bound by a zip-tie. They removed the restraint, administered CPR, and rushed her to the hospital, where she was placed on life support. Unfortunately, her family made the heart-wrenching decision to disconnect life support on September 3.
Maria Gimeno, Operio’s mother, shared that witnesses had informed her that her daughter had been lifeless when initially discovered by authorities. Operio was revived at the hospital but was declared brain-dead.
A neighbor reported to the police that they had observed a man seemingly choking Operio while lying on top of her, just as they were getting ready to leave for work. After securing the zip-tie, the man purportedly moved Operio’s body and drove away in the car. Subsequently, the police located Miller inside the stolen vehicle in Crete, Illinois. Investigation further revealed doorbell camera footage that resembled Miller, wearing attire consistent with his appearance at the time of his arrest.
Miller confessed to being the individual in the video and acknowledged that the knife discovered in the car belonged to him. He explained that he moved Operio’s body to prevent accidentally running her over.
Miller is in custody with bail set at the Cook County Jail, awaiting a court date scheduled for September 22.
News by Breaking911
