Crime & Safety

Ex-ATL Falcons Player Sergio Brown Arrested In Mother's Death: Police

Brown, 35, was reportedly deported from Mexico and is awaiting transfer to Illinois in connection with Myrtle Brown's homicide.

Jacksonville Jaguars safety Sergio Brown speaks during an NFL event for kids in south London, Wednesday, July 15, 2015. Authorities searched Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, for the former NFL player after his 73--year-old mother's body was found near a creek.
Jacksonville Jaguars safety Sergio Brown speaks during an NFL event for kids in south London, Wednesday, July 15, 2015. Authorities searched Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, for the former NFL player after his 73--year-old mother's body was found near a creek. (Matt Dunham/AP Photo, File)

MAYWOOD, IL — Former Atlanta Falcons player Sergio Brown, 35, has been taken into custody and faces first-degree murder charges in connection with the death of his mother, who was found dead in her backyard in September, Maywood police officials in Illinois announced Tuesday.

Police said Brown, 35, was deported out of Mexico and was taken into custody by law enforcement in San Diego on Tuesday.

The San Diego Police Department Threat Management Unit, along with other local and federal agencies, took Brown into custody after a warrant was issued for first-degree murder for the death of his mother, 73-year-old Myrtle Brown, Maywood Police said in a news release.

Find out what's happening in Atlantafor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Authorities are working to have Brown transferred to Illinois to face charges.

Myrtle Brown was found dead in her backyard in Maywood in September, and Sergio Brown was reported missing. Cook County Medical officials said that Myrtle Brown died from multiple injuries related to assault, and her manner of death has been ruled a homicide.

Find out what's happening in Atlantafor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Brown had been reported missing by his brother, who had posted that he had not seen Sergio Brown, a former Notre Dame standout and NFL veteran, since his mother’s death on Sept. 16.

Brown had appeared in social media posts that were traced to Mexico. The social media videos published on his platforms included messages saying that he was being targeted by police.
CNN reported earlier on Tuesday that Mexican authorities had known about Brown’s whereabouts since Sept. 19 and had been working to get him deported in connection with his mother’s death.

Earlier this week, Nick Brown, the former NFL player’s brother, posted on Instagram, criticizing the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office’s handling of his mother’s death investigation.

“The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office is not upholding public safety or justice for my mom, Myrtle Jean Simmons-Brown,” his post reads. “My mom is gone, my dad is gone, and my brother is missing. It’s not about saving face its (sic) about saving justice.”

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.