Aunt Helped Killer Escape Jail, Kankakee County Authorities Say
(STMW) -- A former correctional officer and aunt of Kamron Taylor has been charged with helping the convicted murderer escape from a Kankakee County detention center early Wednesday.
Tonya D. Grant, 50, faces charges of obstructing justice and aiding in escape, according to the Kankakee County sheriff's office.
Grant, a former correctional officer for Kankakee County and Taylor's aunt, passed on information to Taylor that "substantially assisted him in his escape," police said. She has been ordered held on a $150,000 bond.
Taylor, 23, was apprehended Friday night after being on the run since about 3 a.m. Wednesday, when he overpowered a correctional officer at the Jerome Combs Detention Center and took the officer's keys, uniform and vehicle, according to the sheriff's department.
He left the jail in the officer's stolen SUV, which was later located by police, according to the sheriff's office.
About 9 p.m. Friday, Chicago Police officers responding to a call of a suspicious person in the 9200 block of South Harper found escapee Taylor, who led them on a brief foot chase, authorities said.
He was carrying a loaded .38-caliber revolver when he was arrested, police said. He was using the alias of Tryeon Smith, 23, of Joliet. Taylor was identified when authorities compared his tattoos and later performed a positive fingerprint match.
Taylor was charged with multiple felony weapons charges including possession of a firearm by a felon and aggravated use of a weapon without a concealed carry license, police said. He is being held in Chicago and will be turned over to Kankakee County authorities at a later time.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2015. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
