Schaumburg police investigating whether suspect in 10-year-old girl’s murder was involved in death of woman days earlier

Schaumburg police are investigating whether a man charged with killing a 10-year-old girl in Rockford was also involved in the death of a woman found in a hotel room days earlier.

Antonio Monroe, 44, from Blue Island, was arrested over the weekend and charged with the strangling the girl Saturday after grabbing her as she played with her 6-year-old sister outside a home in Rockford, according to police.

The 6-year-old was able to get away and tell her mom her sister was taken, police said. Officers found the girl unresponsive about 12:40 p.m. outside a home in the 1200 block of 9th Avenue, police said. Monroe was taken into custody about a block away shortly afterward, police said.

He was charged with two felony counts of kidnapping and one felony count each of murder, attempted murder and aggravated battery.

Schaumburg police said Tuesday they were looking into Monroe was involved in the death of a woman who was found dead on July 5 at a hotel in the 1200 block of Bank Drive.

“Evidence suggests that [Monroe] was with Natalie Negray prior to her being discovered,” police said in a statement. “The investigation is ongoing.”