Chicago father killed after suspects flee Louis Vuitton smash-and-grab; seven charged

A Chicago father was killed when a vehicle fleeing a smash-and-grab robbery on the Magnificent Mile struck his car, police said, as authorities charged seven people in the incident that also left a luxury store emptied of nearly $700,000 in merchandise.

Mark Carlo Arceta, 40, was driving his usual route to work at a local hospital when he was hit, according to the Chicago Police Department. Investigators say the driver fleeing the robbery was traveling at nearly 100 mph when the crash occurred. Arceta’s partner gave birth to the couple’s son one day after the crash.

Police say the collision followed a coordinated smash-and-grab at a Louis Vuitton store on Michigan Avenue, where surveillance video shows a vehicle driven through storefront windows before suspects entered and removed merchandise. Court records reviewed by authorities estimate the stolen goods were worth nearly $700,000.

The Cook County state’s attorney’s office charged seven people in connection with the robbery and subsequent crash. Those charged include Keith Perkins; Anthony Hemphill; Harvey Fischer, 26; Alton Jackson, 37; Dejuan Wingard, 30; Darius Bowdry, 30; and Kellen McMiller, 35. The charges include murder, burglary and felony theft, among other counts, according to court records and police statements.

Authorities described several of the defendants as having multiple prior arrests. Darius Bowdry has been arrested 12 times as an adult in Chicago, according to police records. Kellen McMiller, described in court records as a community "peacekeeper," had at least four fugitive warrants. Alton Jackson had been released on parole in May after serving a two-year sentence for being a felon in possession of a firearm; records show multiple prior arrests for Jackson. Harvey Fischer has been arrested six times, authorities said.

Investigators said video from the scene shows the initial breach of the Louis Vuitton store, followed by suspects entering and removing merchandise. The driver identified as Dejuan Wingard was alleged to have fled the scene at high speed and collided with Arceta’s vehicle.

Arceta’s partner, Roanne Masangkay, said she was withheld from immediate notification of his death because she was pregnant and police officials did not want to alarm her. "They did not want to tell me because I'm pregnant. They did not want me to worry. So, I just grabbed the phone, and then I couldn't believe it," she told media. She later said, "I want my son to know his dad was so loved. He gave me everything I wanted. He was selfless, generous, and never turned his back on people who needed help." A GoFundMe page titled "Please help the family of Mark Carlo Arceta" was launched to raise money for his relatives.

The charges filed against the seven defendants reflect the intersection of a high-value retail theft and a fatal traffic collision. Prosecutors and police have not released a complete timeline of the chase or detailed statements about which defendants were inside the store and which were in vehicles at the time of the crash. Court documents and charging papers list multiple counts tied to the robbery and to the fatal collision.

Chicago police have in recent years recorded a number of high-profile retail thefts and smash-and-grab incidents on high-traffic commercial corridors, prompting local business and law enforcement responses. Officials said the current investigation remains active, and the defendants are expected to face preliminary court appearances on the charges filed by prosecutors.