Joliet's 2022 Homicides: 57 Percent Cleared With Arrest

JOLIET, IL — The Joliet Police Department has made arrests in four of the seven homicides that have occurred in city limits so far in 2022.

So far, there have been no homicides in the month of November. The last homicide happened at 12:20 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 30 when 27-year-old Jeffery Faint, who had been paroled in recent months from the Illinois Department of Corrections, was gunned down while he was driving on Joliet's east side, at the intersection of Columbia and Henderson avenues.

So far, there have been no arrests in connection with Jeffery Faint's killing, but Joliet police did conduct a raid of two different houses in connection with that case.

During a recent interview at the police station, first-year Joliet Police Chief Bill Evans told Joliet Patch that all citywide shooting incidents are down 8 percent compared to 2021. Evans was pleased the detectives have cleared more than half of Joliet's seven homicides in 2022. As for the unsolved homicide of Jeffery Faint, "we are definitely working to close that case," Evans said.

"Violent crime is slightly down in Joliet," Evans continued. "We certainly understand we have a long way to go. Drive-by (shootings), it's not down significantly, but it's down. I think when we have an adequate number of personnel, I believe that we can have an even more of an impact on violent crime."

Here's a rundown of Joliet's seven homicides from 2022:

Oct. 30: Henderson Avenue, Unsolved

During broad daylight on a Sunday, someone fatally shot 27-year-old Jeffery Faint Jr., as he was driving his sport utility vehicle on the city's east side, near Columbia Street and Henderson Avenue. Officers found Faint's sport utility vehicle on the southeast corner of the intersection appeared to have been involved in a crash, coming to rest on its passenger side. Faint had been paroled from the Illinois Department of Corrections in March after serving prison term for two felony gun charges.

Oct. 24: Spanish American Club, Solved

Jorge Chiguil-Toto, 40, of Joliet suffered stab wounds while breaking up a fist fight and trying to remove Jose Aguilar-Moreno from the Spanish American Club bar at 413 Meeker Ave., near Collins Street. The 40-year-old knife victim exited the bar, bleeding, and tried resting his body against the building. Will County prosecutors said that Aguilar-Moreno ran outside to his sport utility vehicle, a Nissan Pathfinder, before "running over the victim." The 30-year-old Jose Aguilar-Moreno is now in the Will County Jail facing first-degree murder charges.

Sept. 5, 1850 McDonough St., Unsolved

Two Joliet teenagers were shot on a Monday night, one fatally, in the 1800 block of McDonough Street. The violence happened around 11:20 p.m. Both gunshot victims were rushed by ambulance to Ascension St Joseph Medical Center, where the 17-year-old boy died. The homicide victim was identified as Tremarion Williams. No arrests have occurred over the past three months.

Aug. 1, Murphy's Express, 2504 West Jefferson St., Solved

John Harold Williamson, a 68-year-old Joliet resident from the 1200 block of Wisconsin Street, was booked into the Will County Jail Oct. 19 in connection with the Aug. 1 deadly stabbing of a man at the Murphy's Express gas station on West Jefferson Street. The victim, 59-year-old Rickey Moffett, died of his chest wounds a week later. Williamson was charged with involuntary manslaughter by the Will County State's Attorney's Office of Jim Glasgow. He was released from the Will County Jail on the same day of his arrest, posting 10 percent of his $50,000 bail.

July 31, 1308 West Jefferson St.: Solved

Two months after the West Jefferson Street parking lot murder of 35-year-old Jaron Lymon, Joliet police announced that an 18-year-old teen from Joliet's east side was captured by federal marshals in Georgia. The arrest of Marquis Johnson took place Sept. 27 in Lithonia, Georgia. The Joliet teen now faces three counts of first-degree murder.

Lymon lost his life around 2 a.m. on July 31 in the parking lot of The Credit Clique and Suites, 1308 West Jefferson St. Joliet's overnight patrol officers heard several gunshots and rushed to the scene, finding Lymon was shot several times.

March 21, 1113 Plainfield Road: Solved

A 27-year-old woman from Crest Hill has been accused of using her sport utility vehicle as a murder weapon, killing 39-year-old Derek Walsh. On March 21, Walsh, a pedestrian, was struck by an SUV just before 3:30 p.m. in a parking lot in the 1100 block of Plainfield Road. Joliet police said a woman was arguing with Walsh after she struck his parked motorcycle. As he approached her SUV, she accelerated and drove into him, causing "extensive injuries," according to police.

A couple of days later, Joliet police announced that D'Kiva Jones faces charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery and leaving the scene of an accident. She has remained in the Will County Jail since March 23 and her bail remains at $2 million.

Feb. 15, 700 block of Francis Street: Unsolved

Four people were shot — one fatally — in a Tuesday night drive-by shooting while they were walking in the 700 block of Francis Street on Joliet's east side. The 29-year-old homicide victim has been identified as Andrew Knox of Joliet. Knox's body was found in the street, and he suffered multiple gunshot wounds, the coroner's office announced.

All four shooting victims were men. Three of the victims suffered non-life-threatening injuries, Joliet police said.