Fugitives From Joliet Area Nabbed In Kentucky: Police

JOLIET, IL — Two Joliet-area fugitives from justice were arrested in Oak Grove, Kentucky, on Monday, according to police there.

According to Kentucky officials, police and members of the U.S. Marshals Office found 43-year-old Takiyah Jefferson of Joliet and 34-year-old non-compliant sex offender Derrick Bailey at a home on Ashley Street in Oak Grove.

Jefferson is wanted on a charge of causing child endangerment/death in the April 2023 death of her son, 17-year-old Za'Shawn Helm-Jefferson. The teen, identified as Z.J. in court documents, died from dehydration and a viral illness, according to Jefferson's indictment.

The court filings said child endangerment was a proximate cause of Za'Shawn's death, adding that mom Takiyah Jefferson dragged his collapsed body from the hallway into the Crest Hill hotel room where they had been living.

According to Za'Shawn's obituary, "He aspired to be a gamer and enjoyed playing the game with his brother and cousins. He had dreams of making it in the gaming world and taking care of his family. Filled with life our loving boy unfortunately transitioned to be with the Lord on April 10, 2023."

A GoFundMe launched in 2023 sought help paying for the teen's burial. "At a young age, I made some mistakes and lost custody of my children," the campaign read. "My children were placed in the states custody and my parental rights were terminated. Unfortunately life throws us curve balls and Easter Sunday my lil man made his transition to be with The Lord unexpectedly. And now the state is saying that they are no longer responsible for him and that once he passed away, it is my responsibility to bury my baby."

According to Oak Grove police, Bailey is wanted for failure to register a new address with the sex offender registry/2nd offense or greater, retail theft greater than $300, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and driving/never issued a license.

The Illinois Sex Offender registry lists the 100 block of Nobes Avenue in Lockport as Bailey's most current address. He was convicted of committing aggravated criminal sexual abuse against a 12-year-old victim when he was 17, as well as failure to register a new address within five days and multiple counts of failure to report annually to the sex offender registry.

Will County court records show he was charged with failing to register multiple times, pleading guilty to the charge in 2013 and 2015 and receiving sentences of 2 years and 6 years, respectively, in the Illinois Department of Corrections. An August 2022 case charging him with four counts of violating the sex offender registry is marked "inactive," with a note from September 2022 noting this his "arraignment to be held upon apprehension."

According to police in Oak Grove, Kentucky, "(Jefferson and Bailey) have been lodged at the Christian County Jail and are pending extradition back to Illinois."