When the Joliet man charged with gunning down a local teen in a Lois Place apartment went before a judge for his first court appearance Wednesday, the brother and sister of the man he allegedly murdered walked up to stand only feet away from him.
No words were exchanged between Darrel Perkins, 53, and the siblings of slain 18-year-old Tevin Bridges. When the brief hearing ended Perkins was sent back to jail to be held on a $3 million bond. Bridges' brother and sister left the courthouse without commenting.
Two nights earlier, minutes after Bridges was pronounced dead, his brother, 20-year-old Treston Adams of 403 Summit St., was allegedly less subdued.
Adams tried to make his way past police officers so he could get at Perkins, police said. In court on Wednesday, Adams made no move for the chained and shackled man.
The night of the killing, Bridges’ sister also reportedly tried to break through the police line. She wanted to go to her brother's body, police said.
Bridges was found shot to death in the first-floor hallway of a Lois Place apartment building. He had taken bullets to his buttocks and head. A black pellet gun was on the floor next to the dead man, police said.
Residents of the building told officers of hearing the shots come from Perkins' apartment.
Perkins runs a business selling cigarettes, marijuana and food out of his apartment, police said. He was watching the Monday Night Football game with two friends and peddling his wares when Bridges showed up at his door looking to buy two loose cigarettes for a dollar.
The two men watching the football game with Perkins later told detectives that Bridges "balled up his fists" and advanced at Perkins. Perkins reacted by grabbing a .38-caliber handgun off a table and shooting Bridges down, the men reportedly told detectives.
A neighbor told police she heard someone in Perkins' apartment shout, "We got to get him out. Help me get him out," a prosecutor said.
Neither of the men told detectives they saw Bridges holding the pellet gun, or any other gun, police said.
Perkins reportedly told detectives he was watching the football game in his apartment when he heard shots ring out. He opened his door to take a look down the hall and saw Bridges dead on the floor, police said Perkins told them.
Officers searching the Lois Place apartment and surrounding area found the .38 in a dumpster behind the building, a prosecutor said.
On top of the murder charge, Perkins was hit with possession of cannabis with intent to deliver for the marijuana he was allegedly selling. He was also charged with unlawful use of a weapon by a felon. Perkins' prior felony was for a 2005 unauthorized use of movable property conviction out of Louisiana.
Bridges was the first of three Joliet teens to be shot to death within 24 hours. On the other side of town Tuesday night, Delasse Lanier, 18, and Adrian Knox, 17 were slain while hanging out in a crowd.
The next morning, another Joliet teen, Slojante Crowder, was charged with the double murder. During that same gun attack on Second Avenue, Crowder, 18, also allegedly shot and wounded a third teen.
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