STREAMWOOD – According to documents released on Friday, the 7-year-old brother of the Streamwood, Illinois, stabbing suspect saw his bloodied sisters and attempted to save their lives.
Jalonie Jenkins, 25, was charged with first-degree murder on Wednesday for the alleged fatal double stabbing of his sisters Janiya Jenkins, 21, and Eyani Jones, 10, on May 28.
Jenkins was arrested Sunday night in Downers Grove, near a Metra station. A manhunt for him lasted days after his vehicle was discovered the next morning in Bensenville.
Court documents released during a detention hearing on Friday paint a harrowing picture of the victims and their 7-year-old brother.
All three were on the second floor of the house, and Eyani was playing a Snapchat game with her best friend. During the game, screaming erupted from the phone after Jenkins allegedly stabbed Janiya several times.
The Snapchat call was abruptly disconnected after Eyani instructed her friend to dial 911. According to documents, prior to the end, Janiya reportedly begged Jenkins not to “kill the kids.”
According to documents, Jenkins’ 7-year-old brother and the victims returned inside after playing outside. He walked up the stairs to find Janiya crying and covered in blood.
According to the documents, Janiya told her brother to grab his niece, Janiya’s 3-year-old daughter, and leave.
According to the documents, Jenkins called him a disparaging name and pushed him down the stairs. Jenkins then led the boy and his niece into a main-level bathroom.
According to the documents, the two overheard “ongoing loud thumps” and Eyani yelling to call 911.
Detectives discovered Ring camera footage from around 7 p.m., in which Jenkins was seen holding multiple bags and the family dog. According to documents, he fled the scene in a Lexus.
After about 20 minutes, the 7-year-old brother exited the bathroom to find Janiya and Eyani covered in blood.
According to the documents, the little brother attempted to save his sisters by performing CPR, but was unsuccessful.
He then dressed his 3-year-old niece in pants and shoes and went to the home of his neighbor, the mother of Eyani’s Snapchat friend.
The seven-year-old and his mother entered the house and dialed 911.
Police believe Jenkins committed the alleged rampage with a kitchen knife. Eyani sustained ten stab wounds to her neck, chest, and hands. Janiya was stabbed 12 times, primarily in the neck.
According to documents, license plate reading cameras helped detectives determine Jenkin’s fleeing path.
A witness told police that that night, around 9:15 p.m., Jenkins approached people at Redmond Park in Bensenville and asked if they wanted to buy his car.
The following day, it was discovered abandoned in the park, complete with clothing and blood.
Prosecutors also claim Jenkins told his girlfriend that night, via text and phone call, that he was “fighting with his sisters.”
He was arrested in Downers Grove late on Sunday night. Jenkins’ court date was originally scheduled for earlier in the week, but he was transported to the hospital by the Streamwood Police Department on Wednesday.
The circumstances surrounding his hospitalization have not been disclosed, but he was well enough to attend a detention hearing Friday, where he was held pending trial by a judge.
One of the victim’s friends, Jasmine Marshall, told NewsNation affiliate WGN that she knew Janiya well and described her as unique.
“She was a good friend, like a friend I have never had,” Marshall said.
The mother of Eyani’s best friend told WGN on Monday that the incident was heartbreaking.
“She was a really sweet girl,” she explained. “They attend school down the street. They just returned to school from their vacation last Thursday. They were on their way to fifth grade.
Jenkins’ next court date is set for June 26.
