Mississippi inmate arrested in Chicago seafood restaurant

Authorities have apprehended Joshua Zimmerman, a Mississippi inmate who escaped two months ago. Zimmerman barricaded himself in a Chicago restaurant where he had apparently secured employment, the US Marshals Service reported on Wednesday. Details regarding whether Zimmerman was armed or if anyone was injured were not immediately available.

Zimmerman, wanted on multiple charges across three states, barricaded himself on Tuesday at a seafood restaurant near the Democratic National Convention site, according to the US Marshals Service. Zimmerman, 30, escaped from the Desoto County Jail in Mississippi on June 14, where he was held for armed robbery and attempted murder, the marshals service noted. DeSoto County is located about 25 miles south of Memphis.

The reasons behind Zimmerman’s travel to Chicago and whether he had contacts there remain unclear, stated Justin Smith, chief deputy for the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office. Recently, USMS investigators obtained information about Zimmerman’s presence in Chicago and sent a lead to the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force. The task force positively identified Zimmerman at a seafood restaurant on Madison Street, where he was believed to be working, the marshals service said.

During the arrest attempt, Zimmerman retreated into the ceiling and barricaded himself, the USMS reported. Although the restaurant is near the Democratic National Convention site, there was no connection or threat to the event or attendees, the agency confirmed.

CNN is verifying if Zimmerman has legal representation. Court records from DeSoto County reveal Zimmerman was arrested on September 29, 2023, in Southaven, Mississippi, on suspicion of robbery and attempted murder. Earlier in September, Zimmerman was charged, but not arrested, on suspicion of felony murder in Harris County, Texas. He allegedly shot and killed a woman at a Houston motel, as per an arrest warrant filed on September 5, 2023.

Zimmerman is also wanted in Connecticut for failing to appear at a court hearing in December 2022 regarding a felony sexual assault charge, court records indicate. Zimmerman has been known to use aliases and fake identification. His arrest warrant in Harris County states he checked into the Houston motel under the alias Vincent Guerino Juliano and has also used the name Jamie Quintana.

As of Wednesday, Zimmerman was held in Chicago, reported US Marshals Service spokesperson Brady McCarron to a news agency. The DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office in Mississippi hopes for Zimmerman’s extradition.