Questions continued to linger Friday after a man with a lengthy criminal record was charged in the deadly stabbing of an 11-year-old boy in Edgewater. NBC Chicago’s Randy Gyllenhaal reports.
Newly-released court documents are shedding light on the terrifying moments leading up to the death of an 11-year-old boy in Edgewater, who was killed attempting to defend his pregnant mother from a domestic violence attack.
Jayden Perkins was fatally stabbed on Wednesday morning by Crosetti Brand, who forced his way into the family's Edgewater apartment as Jayden's mother was preparing to take him and his brother to school, according to a proffer obtained by NBC Chicago.
Brand, who Chicago police said had a "history of domestic abuse" and three orders of protection against him, was released from prison one day prior to the deadly attack, documents revealed. He most recently served time for violating an order of protection while on parole from a 16-year sentence for home invasion and aggravated assault. Brand was in a relationship with the woman roughly 15 years ago, police said.
On Feb. 1, Brand went to his ex-girlfriend's home, rang the doorbell multiple times and tried to pull the door handle, according to law enforcement. The day prior, he texted the victim, threatening both her and her family, documents stated. Brand eventually turned himself in to police and was reincarcerated as a result.
When he was released on Tuesday, the 37-year-old received several documents, including a memorandum reminding him of the order of protection against the victim, authorities said.
On Wednesday, the day following Brand's release from prison, the victim was on a regular morning phone call with her mother before taking her kids to school, when Brand forced his way into the family's apartment, documents revealed.
Brand began stabbing the victim repeatedly as she screamed "No CO," which is a nickname he goes by. The victim's mother heard her daughter yelling "No CO" until the phone hung up, court records revealed. As Brand stabbed the mother, Jayden attempted to help her and was stabbed as a result, the proffer stated.
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At some point, the victim was able to lock herself in a bedroom, at which point Brand began kicking the door repeatedly. Once the kicking stopped, the victim exited the bedroom and found Jayden, who was lying on the floor and not moving.
Her other son, a 6-year-old boy, was found on the couch - uninjured.
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A neighbor reported hearing the screams and called his mother, who went to investigate and knocked on the victim's apartment, prosecutors said. The neighbor's mother eventually went inside after getting no response and found Jayden's mother and the two boys, at which point she called 911.
The boys' mother had made her way to the front door and was leaning in the doorway when the neighbor found her, documents showed. Blood was present on her upper and lower body and was also spirting from her neck, the proffer stated.
Emergency personnel arrived on scene to find that Jayden had blood pouring out of his chest after being stabbed. The stab wound cut the 11-year-old's cartoid artery, resulting in his death, according to the documents.
His mother, who was stabbed multiple times, was continuing to receive treatment at a hospital on Friday. She and her baby were expected to survive the attack, officials said.
Following the stabbing, Brand was captured on surveillance video throwing a shiny silver object over the fence after leaving the area surrounding the building, authorities stated.
The item, a knife with a red blood-like substance on it, was recovered by authorities, according to prosecutors. Brand then went into the alley, walked past a trash can, then went back to it and put the victim's phone inside, documents stated.
The 37-year-old suspect subsequently headed to the CTA Red Line station at Brywn Marw, where he got on the train and was seen on surveillance video departing the 47th Street CTA station, documents revealed. Footage later captured Brant exiting the train before discarding his shoes, his visor, and two cell phones, officials said.
He then left the station, sat on a bench, where he was greeted by his mother with a bag, prosecutors claimed. The two then walked away and Brand changed his clothes, prosecutors said. Several witnesses who are "well acquainted" with both Brand and his mother, identified them as the individuals seen in surveillance video, the proffer revealed.
At around noon the same day, police took Brant into custody at his home, according to authorities. At the time of his arrest, Brant was wearing grey sweatpants, a white t-shirt and socks. All of the items had red blood-like stains on them. The results of forensic testing were pending on Friday evening.
A search warrant was served at Brand's home, where police recovered numerous documents, such as the memo reminding him of orders of protection against him, court records showed.
Brand was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, home invasion, armed robbery, aggravated domestic battery, unlawful use of a weapon and violation of a protection order, according to prosecutors.
