Sofia Lucio said her 5-year-old daughter Monet was the definition of a girlie girl, a "little diva" who loved to put on her mommy's makeup and heels.
On Monday night the little girl, described as creative and outgoing by family, had her life cut short, killed by a hit-and-run driver as she played outside the family's Lawndale home.
Monet Robinson was following a big sister across the 1500 block of South Millard Avenue shortly before 8 p.m. when she was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver in a green four-door Pontiac Grand Am who stopped, looked out his window and sped off, police say.
Lucio said she was inside getting dressed when she heard a loud noise from outside and immediately went running out.
"At first, I didn't recognize her. She was so dirty and bloody," Lucio said. "I didn't realize it was my baby until I leaned in closer. I knew it was serious at the time, but I didn't know how bad."
Monet was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.
As of Tuesday no one was in custody in connection with Monet's death, and the investigation is ongoing, Officer Daniel O'Brien said. Police had no description of the driver but said the Grand Am sustained front-end damage.
Neighbor Baron Randle said the street is well-known for being packed with kids, many of whom call him "granddaddy" when he and his wife hand out freezer pops and candy. Randle said children are always playing up and down the street and the driver should have known better.
"It's chaos — plain chaos," Randle said. "They know kids are running around here and they still drive fast, acting like a fool. Even when adults are outside, kids are going to be kids. They're going to cross the street without looking."
Neighbor Talmage Grays said he and other nearby residents have been asking the office of Ald. Michael Chandler, 24th, to install a speed bump on Millard for some time without success.
"It's not a quiet street anymore," Grays said. "It used to be, but now it's more like 16th Street. The speed bump could help slow things down."
Calls and emails to Chandler on Tuesday afternoon were not immediately returned.
Pink and purple balloons accompanied a poster attached to the fence outside the family's home Tuesday, as friends and neighbors used permanent markers to leave their condolences or write messages to Monet.
Monet was living with her godmother in East Garfield Park and attending pre-kindergarten classes at Leif Ericson Elementary Scholastic Academy, Lucio said. Monet was excited to start kindergarten this fall, she said.
"She was very smart. She couldn't sit still," Lucio said. "She watched her sister graduate kindergarten this year and couldn't wait for her turn."
Darrelle Covington, Monet's uncle, said his niece was an outgoing little girl who made everyone around her smile. He would cook her spaghetti from time to time because it was Monet's favorite food.
"She called me Uncle Peanut," Covington said. "But when she was mad at me, it was just Peanut."
Monet loved to color, Covington said, and took her craft seriously.
"She was very specific when she colored. She never went over the black lines," Covington said. "She was a very neat little girl."
Monet and her five siblings were looking forward to spending the Fourth of July with Lucio's extended family, she said.
Of her other five children, ranging from 2 to 10 years old, only her 10-year-old daughter seems to understand the gravity of Monet's death, Lucio said. The others are too young to understand. Now with Monet's memorial and visitation scheduled for early next week, Lucio said she's leaning on those close to her for support.
"I'm fine. I'm coping," she said. "I'm happy to have my family with me. They were all here or at the hospital within 10 minutes of getting the call last night."
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