Illinois state-funded 'peacekeeper' has outstanding warrants in 4 states, charged with in fatal burglary 6 days after photo op with JB Pritzker

A man now facing murder charges in connection with a deadly burglary crash in Chicago stood alongside Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker at a state event less than a week earlier, raising new questions about the governor’s “peacekeeper” initiative.

On September 11, prosecutors say 35-year-old Kellen McMiller joined a burglary crew that smashed a truck into a Louis Vuitton store on Michigan Avenue, stealing nearly $700,000 worth of goods. As police responded, one of the getaway vehicles, a stolen Kia, sped through red lights at 77 mph before colliding with a Honda CR-V at Ohio Street, reprots CWB Chicago.

The crash killed 40-year-old Mark Arceta of Skokie, who was on his way to his last work shift before paternity leave. His wife gave birth shortly after his death.

McMiller, who was injured in the crash and remains hospitalized, is charged with murder during a forcible felony, burglary, and theft. Police also revealed he has four outstanding warrants, three of them out of state — in Florida, Indiana, and Wisconsin.

Records show he was previously arrested in Miami in 2021 after a confrontation with police, where he was accused of throwing a bottle at a squad car and later charged with battery of an officer and resisting arrest. Just six days before the crash, McMiller had appeared at an Englewood event for state-funded “peacekeepers.” Pritzker’s office described the group as “trusted messengers” meant to reduce violence.

The governor posed for a photo with McMiller that was posted in a press release but later taken down once the charges came to light. “It’s folks like these that we need more of doing the hard work of community violence prevention,” Pritzker wrote on Facebook at the time, arguing the program was more effective than adding more police officers.

Not everyone agreed. Former Riverside Police Chief Tom Weitzel said the program lacks results and criticized the governor’s staff for not vetting participants.

“Over the years, they have allocated millions of dollars to the peacekeepers program, yet there are no positive outcomes to demonstrate from a data perspective,” he said. “The governor’s advance team is incompetent.” Chicago police initially misidentified McMiller as “Keller McMillan” when announcing charges against him and six other men tied to the fatal burglary. Prosecutors say the stolen goods, the reckless flight, and Arceta’s death show how dangerous these crimes have become.