An 11-year-old boy in Chicago died trying to save his mother from a knife attack in their apartment last week, ABC7 reported Thursday.
The 37-year-old alleged attacker, Crosetti Brand, who had been released on parole the day before, allegedly stabbed Jayden Perkins to death while he was trying to protect his 33-year-old pregnant mother, according to ABC7.
Although Perkins’ mother was allegedly stabbed several times, doctors expect both she and her unborn child will survive, ABC7 reported. (RELATED: Landlord In Chicago Allegedly Stabbed 6-Year-Old To Death For Being Muslim)
Jayden Perkins was 11 years old. He was a beautiful dancer. A typical kid. And a hero.
He should be with us today. pic.twitter.com/IuS9BF5NEA
— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) March 22, 2024
Police said that Perkins’ mother and Brand were involved in a relationship 15 years ago, but that the boy’s mother had an ongoing protection order against him, according to the outlet. Police arriving on the scene discovered the boy with a chest wound, ABC7 reported.
Chicago Chief of Detectives Antoinette Ursitti said that video evidence appeared to show Brand fleeing the scene with a knife before he was arrested a few hours later, according to ABC7.
“This mom’s life is now forever changed,” ABC7 reported Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling saying. “Along with being brutally attacked, stabbed multiple times, dealing with that trauma, she has to face the fact that she will never see, touch, hug her 11-year-old son.”
The Chief added that the alleged crime should never have happened since Brand had been sentenced to 16 years in prison for a home invasion and was released on parole just one day before the alleged attack, ABC7 reported.
“Paroled and placed on electronic monitoring last October,” Chief of Detectives Ursitti said. “While he was on parole, he threatened the female victim via text and also showed up at her home.”
Grieving family members rushed at Brand at a court hearing last Friday, leading to an altercation with deputies and arrests, according to ABC7.
“There should be confidence in the criminal justice system and we would hope that incidents are rare,” Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx said. “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.”
Brand faces a litany of charges, including one count of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder, ABC7 reported.