Man arrested after mother of his child killed in Country Club Hills hit-and-run

A man was arrested Friday after the mother of his child was killed in a hit-and-run crash in south suburban Country Club Hills.

Officers were called about 7:20 p.m. for reports of a man hitting a child inside a stopped vehicle in the 3400 block of Sangamon Street in Steger, according to a statement from Steger police.

The man had left the vehicle on foot by the time officers arrived, but investigators located and arrested him a short time later, police said. Two girls, aged 9 months and 3 years, were found inside the vehicle.

The 3-year-old girl had “obvious facial and head injuries,” police said. Both children were taken to St. James Hospital in Chicago Heights and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services was called to take custody of them. The older girl’s condition was stabilized and she was expected to recover.

During their investigation, Steger police learned that the man was wanted in connection with a hit-and-run crash that killed the children’s mother at 6:57 p.m. in Country Club Hills, police said. He is the father of one of the children.

Erica D. Ford, 30, was hit by a vehicle in the 4700 block of West 189th Street in Country Club Hills, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office. Ford, who lived in Matteson, was pronounced dead at 7:51 p.m.

An autopsy Saturday found she died of multiple injuries from the crash and her death was ruled a homicide, the medical examiner’s office said.

Steger police said they are investigating the battery to the child but have turned the suspect over to Country Club Hills police for the death investigation.

Country Club Hills police declined to comment about the case Saturday afternoon.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Steger police at (708) 755-0223 or Country Club Hills police at (708) 798-3191.