An 11-year-old boy, Jayden Perkins, has passed away after he attempted to defend his pregnant mother from her ex-boyfriend, Crosetti Brand, just released from prison. Brand, 37, allegedly stabbed the boy in the chest and the 33-year-old pregnant woman on Wednesday before being arrested.
The accused had recently been paroled from Steville Correctional Center where he had been serving a 16-year sentence for home invasion and aggravated assault, according to the New York Post. Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said Brand forced his way into his ex-girlfriend’s home in Edgewater, Illinois, and “brutally attacked” the family.
The 33-year-old mother of two was leaving with her children for school around 8 a.m. when the attack occurred. During the attack, the 11-year-old boy bravely stepped in to shield his mother, who was stabbed in the doorway of their home by the criminal.
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Snelling indicated that the woman’s 5-year-old son also witnessed the horrific incident. Both the mother and her sons were rushed to the hospital after officers arrived at the scene to find them stabbed multiple times.
Perkins was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital. His mother was listed in critical condition, but prosecutors provided some hope, stating that she and her unborn baby are expected to survive.
“An innocent child’s life was taken as he tried to protect his mother far too soon and a mother was attacked in what should have been the safest place for her, which was her home,” Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx said.
Police reported that Brand was captured on video fleeing from the home and discarding a “silver item,” later identified as a bloody knife, over a fence.
Chicago Police Chief of Detectives Antoinette Ursitti revealed that the mother, who had a long-standing order of protection against Brand, had dated the felon over 15 years ago.
Brand faces multiple charges including attempted murder, home invasion with a dangerous weapon, domestic battery, robbery with a dangerous weapon, felon possession of a weapon, and violation of an Order of Protection, according to charging documents.
He had been paroled in October of the previous year and placed on electronic monitoring. However, “while he was on parole, he threatened the female victim via text and also showed up at her home. He was sent back to prison in February for this parole violation,” Ursitti said.
Snelling admitted he didn’t have a satisfactory answer as to why Brand was released and directed inquiries to the Illinois Department of Corrections.
“My feeling is that he should not have been,” Snelling said. “He violated parole. He violated an order of protection – and it involved the same type of crime that he was paroled for. So this is someone who should not have been on the street.”
Foxx noted the issues in Brand’s case as “shocking and so glaring.”
“However rare, this is horrific, and we need to do an evaluation – particularly in this case and others – to ensure that there were no gaps in the justice system that will allow for a dangerous offender to commit the acts that he did.”
A vigil was held for Perkins on Thursday after his murder. The 11-year-old, known for his academic excellence with straight A’s and consistent presence on the honor roll, was actively engaged in cross-country, football, and the arts, as shared by a memorial website set up in his honor.
“Jayden had a passion for performing and theater, and he had the lead role in several school plays, including ‘Finding Nemo’ at Peirce Elementary.”
