Chicago police were attempting to tell a 56-year-old woman they had found her stolen car when they ran into her boyfriend in the elevator — trying to dispose of the woman's body, prosectuors said Friday.

Sandra Fellows was already dead when police arrived at her apartment. Assistant State’s Attorney Akash Vyas said 33-year-old Robert Hill put his hand over Fellows’ nose and mouth to prevent her from breathing last Tuesday night, Homicide Watch Chicago reports.

Hill then poured water on Fellows' face, forcefully took out her dentures to stop her from biting, and smothered her to death at her home in the 6600 block of West Beldin Avenue, Vyas said.

After killing his girlfriend, Hill stole her car and drove to his mother’s house, where he left the car parked on the street with the engine running and the radio on, prosecutors said.

The next day, Hill went back to Fellows’ apartment building with a large garbage can to dispose of her body, Vyas said. But when Hill got into the elevator, he encountered police who had come to tell Fellows her car had been found.

Hill told officers Fellows had died the night before and he was there to get rid of her body, prosecutors said. He led police to her body, which was lying face and bloody from the forcible removal of her dentures, according to Vyas.

The officers arrested Hill, who allegedly admitted he was upset that Fellows had received money from a life insurance policy and had not told him, so he suffocated her, Vyas said.

An autopsy confirmed Fellows died of asphyxiation and her death was ruled a homicide, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Hill, of South Hamlin Avenue, was charged with first-degree murder and Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil ordered him held on $3 million bond Friday.

He has previously been sentenced to 180 months in prison for a federal cocaine conspiracy charge, prosecutors said. In 2004, Hill received four years in prison for manufacturing and delivery of a controlled substance. He received probation for the same charge in both 1999 and 2003, according to court records.

Hill earned his GED and works for a temp agency, according to his lawyer, who noted none of his previous convictions were for violent offenses.

He will be back in court April 29.