'Yeah I Hit Him': Joliet Foster Mom Must Remain Jailed After Orange Incident, Prosecutors Tell Judge

JOLIET, IL — With Will County Judge Ken Zelazo filling in on the bench for Courtroom 202, the Will County State's Attorney's Office of Jim Glasgow was successful in its quest to deny pretrial release for 66-year-old Yvonne Jimerson. The Joliet Township woman who lives on Manhattan Road has been kept in the Will County Jail this week on two charges of aggravated battery and two crimes of domestic battery. The incident involves allegations that Jimerson inflicted a bloody beating upon a 13-year-old boy, who needed to go to Silver Cross Hospital due to his injuries.

According to the Will County's Attorney's filing, on Sunday, Will County Sheriff's deputy Alvarado was called to the disturbance in the 500 block of Manhattan Road.

The 911 caller stated her little brother had been
physically beaten by their foster mother and was bleeding.

At the scene, the foster mother, Yvonne Jimerson, told sheriff's deputies, "Yeah, I hit him. He was out there putting the oranges in the air and letting them hit the ground and fall," prosecutors allege Jimerson said at the time.

Jimerson said she has been the children's foster parent since they were born, and the reason she hit "her son" was because food should not be played with, prosecutors said. She stated she needed to teach him a lesson, according to court documents.

A 15-year-old boy, the older brother of the victim, told sheriff's deputies that his mother was upset because his 12-year-old brother was playing with the oranges. He witnessed Jimerson push the boy by his neck against the wall and hit him on his arm and across his face, court records state.

A girl, age 17, told the sheriff's deputies she was the 911 caller and "this is not the first time her mother hits them, and that she usually hits them with whatever she can grab, including pots and pans. She added that DCFS has been called on previous occasions and they are aware of the situation at home," court records allege.

Sheriff's Deputy Freitag noted that Yvonne Jimerson told her that she held the boy between her legs so he could not run away. The boy showed the officers where he was hit on his body. He was wearing a white undershirt, which was covered with blood, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors indicated the 13-year-old was taken to Silver Cross Hospital by Joliet's Fire Department, and DCFS was also contacted.