Police: Derrick Cole Pursued Young Girl At Walmart

JOLIET, IL - Just five days into 2018, 46-year-old Derrick Ramone Cole found himself being arrested by the Joliet Police Department on a pair of disorderly conduct charges. The incidents happened in the 2400 block of West Jefferson Street, around 8 p.m. Friday. Cole, who stays at the Daybreak Shelter at 611 East Cass Street, found himself inside the Walmart on Joliet's west side, according to police. Here, Cole began making unwanted and repeated sexually suggestive remarks toward an 11-year-old girl who was in the Walmart store shopping with her father, Joliet police say.

"Cole was harassing the 11-year-old girl," Deputy Chief of Police Edgar Gregory explained, adding that Cole persisted, muttering sexual innuendos to the girl and telling her "how she was sexy."

"He continued to follow her through the aisles," Gregory said.

Eventually, the girl's father confronted Cole. Words were exchanged and Cole ultimately left Walmart, only to walk to the nearby Penny's Place store where he began spewing profanity and harassing two women who were in their forties, Gregory said. Cole told both of those women that he wanted to perform a lewd sex act upon them, police said.

The women suspected that Cole was intoxicated and they feared for their safety. They called the police when "he became aggressive," Gregory said.

Joliet Police officers responded to the store. No sooner did they cite Cole for disorderly conduct inside the Penny's Place, but officers quickly learned about the Walmart incident involving the 11-year-old girl. Her father wished to pursue criminal charges against Cole as well, Gregory said.

2016 mugshot of Derrick Cole via Will County Sheriff's Department