March 26--The man sought in connection with the slaying of a 31-year-old woman found inside her Skokie home has a lengthy criminal history, records show.
The victim, Catherine Benyamin, 31, had been strangled, according to an autopsy performed Friday by the Cook County medical examiner's office. Her death was ruled a homicide.
Benyamin's body was found Thursday morning inside her apartment on the 8200 block of Keating Avenue in the north suburb, authorities said. Police then began a search for her 10-month-old son, Joshua Powell, and the boy's father, Jermaine Powell.
The boy was dropped off later Thursday at a church near Halsted Street and Roosevelt Road in Chicago, police said. He was taken to a hospital for observation.
Police on Friday continued to search for Jermaine Powell, who they say matched a description of a person who was seen dropping off the boy at the church.
Powell was charged in January with criminal damage to property and criminal trespassing for a break-in of a Skokie garage, authorities said. According to police, a homeowner's security camera captured a man with a baby breaking into his garage and trying to disable the camera.
According to police, the homeowner caught the man walking toward him from his garage. After trying to explain himself, the man fled the scene as the homeowner pursued him for a short time, police said.
Police on Friday confirmed Powell had been dentified as that man and was charged about a week later with criminal damage in connection with the break-in about a week later. He has a hearing scheduled for March 28 in Skokie.
Powell's criminal record includes convictions for aggravated battery to police officers, residential burglary, felony escape from a peace officer, aggravated robbery and drug possession, authorities said.
Mike Isaacs is a Pioneer Press reporter and Grace Wong is a Tribune reporter.
misaacs@pioneerlocal.com
gwong@tribpub.com
