A man wanted for murder and armed robbery was arrested Wednesday morning after a standoff with police that lasted more than 15 hours at a Chicago restaurant, authorities said.
Joshua Zimmerman, 30, had fled the DeSoto County Courthouse in northwest Mississippi, where he was scheduled for a June 14 hearing, the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office said. At the time, Zimmerman was being held on charges of attempted murder and armed robbery, the U.S. Marshals Service said.
According to the US Marshals Service, Zimmerman was also awaiting extradition to Houston to face murder charges. After more than two months on the run, the US Marshals Service found Zimmerman in a restaurant on Chicago’s west side.
Justin Smith, deputy sheriff with the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office, said at a news conference Tuesday that Zimmerman barricaded himself inside the restaurant and was surrounded by the Chicago SWAT team. He was taken into custody by Chicago police around 7:20 a.m. Wednesday.
Zimmerman had no hostages and was taken into custody without incident, authorities said.
DeSoto County Sheriff Thomas E. Tuggle thanked the community for its assistance in locating Zimmerman and praised the departments that assisted in his arrest.
“Our team is already on the ground in Chicago and ready to begin the next phase of our investigation,” Tuggle said in a statement Wednesday. “I cannot overstate the importance of the strong partnerships and network alliances we have built with agencies across the country. They played a critical role in Zimmerman’s arrest.”
Escaped prisoner from North Carolina: Escaped prisoner convicted of murder arrested in North Carolina hotel after days-long manhunt
Authorities believe Joshua Zimmerman worked in a Chicago restaurant
Zimmerman was an inmate at the DeSoto County Adult Detention Center when he escaped from the county courthouse on June 14. He was scheduled to appear in court on attempted murder and other charges.
Authorities said Zimmerman simply walked out of the building and was driven to Memphis with the help of a “good Samaritan,” where he disappeared for a while, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, part of the USA TODAY Network. The U.S. Marshals Service described Zimmerman as “armed and dangerous.”
The U.S. Marshals Service and the DeSoto County District Attorney’s Office had offered a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to Zimmerman’s arrest.
On Tuesday, investigators from the U.S. Marshals Service met Zimmerman at a seafood restaurant on Chicago’s west side, where authorities believe Zimmerman worked.
According to the US Marshals Service, during the arrest attempt, Zimmerman “retreated into the ceiling and barricaded himself.”
Chicago police said Zimmerman was due in court Thursday after being charged with two counts of fleeing from police to avoid arrest or prosecution, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
Court records show several crimes
Before Zimmerman’s escape in June, he was arrested by Southaven police and charged with several crimes. DeSoto County court records show that Zimmerman was arrested on September 29, 2023, in Southaven, Mississippi, on charges including armed robbery and attempted murder.
According to the DeSoto County District Attorney’s Office, Zimmerman is also wanted for murder in Texas and escape in Connecticut.
Houston police charged Zimmerman with murder last October, KRIV reported. Police accused Zimmerman of shooting 23-year-old Keyanna Mercer in a Houston motel room on Sept. 2, 2023.
An investigation revealed that Mercer and Zimmerman had rented the room under the name Vincent Guerino Juliano, according to KTRK-TV. Witnesses told police they heard screams coming from the room before hearing a gunshot.
Zimmerman was later seen leaving the house alone, KRIV and KTRK-TV reported. Authorities said Zimmerman was to have been extradited to Harris County, Texas, after being arrested in Mississippi on other charges.
Contributor: Jacob Wilt, Memphis Commercial Appeal
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mississippi inmate arrested after standoff at Chicago restaurant
