A man once spotlighted in Governor JB Pritzker’s Peacekeepers program is now facing charges of murder, burglary, and fleeing justice after a violent smash-and-grab along Chicago’s Magnificent Mile ended in tragedy.

Among the accused is Kellen “Keller” McMiller, who posed for a widely publicized photo with Gov. Pritzker just days before the crime—a photo that has since been removed. At the time the image was taken, McMiller had four outstanding arrest warrants across Illinois, Florida, Wisconsin, and Indiana.

Police say that on September 11, a crew of seven stormed a Louis Vuitton store, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in merchandise before fleeing in multiple vehicles. During the chaotic escape, one of the getaway cars collided with another vehicle, killing 31-year-old Mark Arceta. His child was born the following day.

Court records detail McMiller’s extensive criminal history, which spans multiple states and includes drug charges, domestic violence, armed robbery, probation violations, battery of a police officer, and resisting arrest.

The now-scrubbed photo of Pritzker and McMiller had been used in a press release to highlight Peacekeepers as a model crime-prevention initiative. Following McMiller’s arrest, the governor’s office issued a statement calling the allegations “deeply troubling” and stressing that the accused should be held fully accountable.

The case has intensified scrutiny on Pritzker’s anti-violence program, with critics questioning its vetting process after one of its touted figures became implicated in one of Chicago’s most notorious smash-and-grab crimes.

---