In the early hours of a Wednesday morning in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood, a devastating scene unfolded that ended with the death of an 11-year-old boy, Jayden Perkins, and left his pregnant mother critically injured. Crosetti Brand, 37, has been charged with this atrocious act, facing first-degree murder and attempted murder among other charges.
The incident began when Brand, also known by the nickname “CO,” launched a violent attack on the pregnant mother. The 33-year-old woman was on a regular phone call when Brand reportedly forcefully let himself in the house.
Court records indicate that the victim’s mother heard her daughter’s screams of “No CO” through the phone, which suddenly went silent. In a brave but tragic attempt to defend his mother, young Jayden intervened and was fatally stabbed by Brand.
Amidst this chaos, the youngest child, a 6-year-old boy, was found unharmed on the couch, but silently witnessed the horrific incident. Neighbors were alerted to the violence by the screams, prompting a quick response. One neighbor’s mother, after getting no answer at the door, entered the apartment and immediately called 911 after realizing how bad the situation was.First responders discovered Jayden’s mother at the front door, with blood all over and severely wounded, particularly with a life-threatening injury to her neck. The victims were rushed to Ascension St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, where Jayden succumbed to his injuries, and his mother was treated for critical wounds.
Jayden was a student at the Helen C. Peirce School of International Studies, remembered for his academic success and love for sports and the arts. In a tribute to their late student, the school wrote. “He was the student who stood up for everyone.”
A support fund was set up by the Peirce Elementary School Community and the Gus Giordano Dance School, raising significant financial support for the family. Over $26,000 has been collected towards a $50,000 goal to support the bereaved family.Brand’s criminal history reveals a pattern of escalating violence and a failure of the system to protect the victims effectively. Court records document a show an episode where Brand forced entry into an ex-girlfriend’s apartment, assaulted her, and threatened her 15-year-old son.
During this terrifying encounter, Brand escalated the violence by placing a gun under the ex-girlfriend’s chin, pushing her against a wall, and beginning to choke her. This incident led to Brand being sentenced to 16 years in prison for a home invasion, although he was paroled in October of the previous year.
After his parole, Brand continued his threatening behavior. On February 1, he issued threats to the Edgewater victim, demonstrating a blatant disregard for the legal constraints placed upon him. His actions included sending threatening text messages to the victim, proclaiming he would kill her and her family and even showed up at her residence, which resulted in his brief return to prison due to this parole violation.The victim sought an emergency order of protection, citing threats from Brand, including messages where he threatened to kill her and wait outside her house to shoot her. However, the judge denied this emergency request, deeming it non-urgent since Brand was already imprisoned at that time.
Critics, like Amanda Pyron from The Network Advocating Against Domestic Violence, expressed concern over the judge’s failure to probe deeper into Brand’s custody status or release date, information that would have underscored the emergency nature of the protection order.
Despite Brand’s history of domestic violence, indicated by protective orders from four different women since 2004, he was released from Stateville Correctional Center on March 12. The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) confirmed his hearing before the Illinois Prisoner Review Board but did not disclose whether the details of the victim’s emergency protection request were considered.
This situation has sparked significant concern and criticism from legal and community figures, including State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, who said, “An innocent child’s life was taken as he tried to protect his mother. And a mother was attacked in what should have been the safest place for her, her home,” and called for a thorough review to prevent such oversights in the justice system.Mayor Johnson also expressed his devastation over the event, stating, “This despicable crime is a horrific reminder of the need for us to correct systemic failures, address the root causes of violence in our community, and continue to support our domestic violence and gender-based violence survivors, their families and communities, and the providers and advocates who do this work daily.”
The Mayor’s statement further emphasized the city’s commitment to supporting survivors and enhancing resources to prevent such tragedies. He noted, “We grieve alongside his family and community as we reckon with this unthinkable loss. We pray for Jayden’s mother’s recovery. We will never forget Jayden, who was taken from us much too soon. May God rest his soul in eternal peace.”