A 40-year-old man with a history of mental illness has been arrested and charged with three counts of felony aggravated battery after allegedly punching three women in the face in downtown Chicago. Marlon Anthony Miller, who is currently on electronic monitoring due to a previous arrest, was taken into custody Wednesday morning after police say he attacked the women on East Randolph Street.
According to police reports, Miller punched two 50-year-old women and a 49-year-old woman, causing them to suffer bruising, redness, and swelling. One of the victims, who wore $800 eyeglasses, had her glasses damaged in the attack.
Miller's previous arrest history is marked by a series of violent incidents, including throwing a milkshake at a 30-year-old woman's face on State Street last November. He has also been charged with assaulting two women he didn't know on Randolph and Dearborn streets in October.
The case raises concerns about how the Chicago justice system addresses the mental health of repeat offenders like Miller, who has struggled with schizophrenia. Despite being deemed insane at the time of a previous attack that left a man with a broken jaw, Miller was sentenced to a probation program and is now facing multiple felony charges.
This latest incident follows a string of unprovoked punching attacks downtown, which have garnered national attention. The Chicago Sun-Times has reported on the issue in a series called "Failure to Treat, Failure to Protect," highlighting how people who are homeless and mentally ill are often more likely to be victimized than to hurt others.
In recent months, other violent incidents involving individuals with mental health issues have made headlines. In November, Lawrence Reed was charged with federal terrorism offenses after setting a woman on fire on a CTA train.
According to police reports, Miller punched two 50-year-old women and a 49-year-old woman, causing them to suffer bruising, redness, and swelling. One of the victims, who wore $800 eyeglasses, had her glasses damaged in the attack.
Miller's previous arrest history is marked by a series of violent incidents, including throwing a milkshake at a 30-year-old woman's face on State Street last November. He has also been charged with assaulting two women he didn't know on Randolph and Dearborn streets in October.
The case raises concerns about how the Chicago justice system addresses the mental health of repeat offenders like Miller, who has struggled with schizophrenia. Despite being deemed insane at the time of a previous attack that left a man with a broken jaw, Miller was sentenced to a probation program and is now facing multiple felony charges.
This latest incident follows a string of unprovoked punching attacks downtown, which have garnered national attention. The Chicago Sun-Times has reported on the issue in a series called "Failure to Treat, Failure to Protect," highlighting how people who are homeless and mentally ill are often more likely to be victimized than to hurt others.
In recent months, other violent incidents involving individuals with mental health issues have made headlines. In November, Lawrence Reed was charged with federal terrorism offenses after setting a woman on fire on a CTA train.
. I'm not saying he deserves to be treated easy just 'cause he's got schizophrenia, but at the same time, you gotta wonder if he was actually sane when he was committing these crimes 
. Like, how do you catch someone who can't even take care of themselves? And what about all these other people on probation with mental health issues? Is it just too hard to find them treatment that works? 
. It's like, we're supposed to be a civilized society, but when it comes down to it, we just let these guys slip through the cracks 
. I don't know what the answer is, but something needs to change ASAP 
I'm really worried about people like Marlon Anthony Miller who are struggling with mental illness and end up committing violent crimes. It's not just the victims who suffer from physical harm, but also the emotional trauma that comes with it.
the city needs to take responsibility for providing proper care and services to people struggling with mental health issues, rather than just locking them up 
meanwhile, victims like these three women are left to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives 
It's like, we can't keep throwing money at a problem without actually solving it. We gotta think outside the box here... 
. It's heartbreaking to see someone with schizophrenia end up in a situation where they're more likely to hurt others than be helped themselves. I think we need to do better as a society to support people like him, especially those who are homeless or struggling with mental health issues. We need to make sure our justice system is prioritizing rehabilitation over punishment 
. It's not an easy issue to solve, but I believe that by raising awareness and providing more resources, we can make a difference in the lives of people like Miller.
this is so frustrating... as a parent, it's hard not to think about what kind of world we're raising our kids in when there are cases like this 
and what really gets me is that the victims here were just women going about their day, minding their own biz 
no one deserves to be punched in the face, let alone have their glasses smashed 
this guy is just so messed up 
it's not right at all 
maybe we could even get some community programs to help people like Marlon Anthony Miller 
As a parent, I want to protect my kids from people like this, and I think we need to be doing more to help prevent these situations in the first place. 
. I mean, I get it, someone needs to be held accountable for their actions, but can't we do better than throw them at the system and hope for the best? 
.
That sounds like a real eye-opener. I mean, if people who are homeless and mentally ill are more likely to be victimized, then we need to do a lot better than just throwing them in jail or locking them away... 
We need some real change ASAP... 
. The justice system needs to find a better balance between punishment and helping people get the help they need 
. I mean, I remember watching those episodes of Law & Order where they'd always have this one character who was clearly nuts, but somehow would still manage to commit these heinous crimes 
. It's like our justice system is just not equipped to deal with people like Marlon Anthony Miller 
it's not that hard, right? 
I'm all for holding people accountable, but let's make sure we're doing everything we can to help them, too 
"Failure to Treat, Failure to Protect" is such a powerful message 
we need more awareness about mental health and how it affects our communities 
. We're quick to label someone as a "repeat offender" without considering their struggles with mental health 
. And let's not forget about Lawrence Reed's incident... that was straight up crazy