Man Accused Of Stabbing Bank Worker Ruled 'Insane' By Prior Judge

CHICAGO — A 35-year-old man was denied bail Saturday after prosecutors said he stabbed and killed a Chase Bank employee inside a downtown branch Wednesday.

Jawaun Westbrook was charged with first-degree murder in the stabbing death of Jessica Vilaythong, 24, who died from her injuries after being stabbed in the neck at a Chase Bank in the 600 block of North Dearborn Street.

Westbrook's attorney said the man does not remember the attack and has been found not guilty of violent crimes in the past by reason of insanity.

Prior accusations against Westbrook include punching a Chicago police officer in the head and spitting in the face of another officer on Jan. 18, 2009. Court records show Westbrook was found not guilty by reason of insanity and sent to a psychiatric facility for a short time.

In 2012, Westbrook was convicted of attempted robbery after a woman said Westbrook asked to borrow her iPhone and then slapped her in the face when she ignored him. Assistant State's Attorney Ashley Romito said Westbrook caused the woman to fall and hit her head on the sidewalk, but then he smiled and walked away without picking up the phone. He was sentenced to two years in prison for the incident and later violated parole in 2014.

Westbrook was involuntarily sent to another psychiatric institution in 2014 after he was accused of smashing two women in the head with a hammer on Lower Lake Shore Drive. At the time, a judge found Westbrook not guilty by reason of insanity.

Vilaythong was working insider her office cubicle at Chase Bank at around 11:10 a.m., authorities said, when Westbrooks pulled a knife from his waistband and stabbed her in the left side of the neck. He fled and evaded police for almost five hours before he was found inside a Walgreens with a shirt tied to his head and two pairs of pants on.

A witness identified Westbrook and police found a hunting knife on the man, concealed in an ankle sheath.

Cook County Judge John Lyke Jr. said Westbrook would remain in jail until his next court date on Sept. 8.

"The state has outlined a horrific incident where a person's just at work, minding their own business, doing their job, and all of a sudden was approached and stabbed in the neck and subsequently succumbed to those injuries," Lyke said in court.

Westbrook's attorney asked for a "reasonable bond" in light of his mental health diagnoses, unemployment and homelessness. Westbrook maintained he did not remember the stabbing.