Registered sex offender charged with kidnapping, murdering 10-year-old girl who was playing outside with younger sister when she was taken

A registered sex offender has been charged with kidnapping and murdering a 10-year-old girl who was playing outside with her younger sister when she was taken Saturday afternoon in Rockford, Illinois. Rockford is about 90 miles northwest of Chicago.

What are the details?

Rockford police told WFLD-TV the 10-year-old victim and her 6-year-old sister were playing outside when Antonio Monroe, 44, grabbed the older sister.

The younger sister was able to get away and ran to tell their mother, the station said.

The victim was found unresponsive less than an hour after the mother called police, WFLD added.

A police K-9 tracked down Monroe a few blocks from the victim's body, the station reported, adding that police said the suspect was taken into custody after a brief struggle.

WREX-TV said Monroe, a Blue Island resident, is a registered sex offender stemming from a 2010 incident in Peoria.

WREX added that Monroe was hospitalized and would be processed through the Winnebago County Jail when released.

Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara released the following statement, WFLD said:

"I’m [devastated] by this horrific crime and the long-lasting impact it will undoubtedly have on this innocent child’s family and loved ones. Some crimes, especially those involving children, affect the entire community and make us question everything that we think we know to be true. In this moment, we have to acknowledge that our community needs time to process, grieve and heal. As a leader, I also need to understand if there are gaps in the system that need to be closed or more protections put in place to ensure that violent criminals are not free to roam and prey on children in our community. We will evaluate those questions in the coming weeks and months. For now, my heart is with the family and the entire community as we mourn the loss of one of our children."

WREX said a GoFundMe page has been set up to cover expenses for the family.

Chicago-area man charged with kidnapping, murdering 10-year-old girl who was playing outside in Rockyoutu.be

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!