In a heartbreaking act of bravery, 11-year-old Jayden Perkins lost his life on March 13, 2024, while defending his pregnant mother, LaTerria Smith, during a violent home invasion in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago.

The attacker, Crosetti Brand, was Smith’s ex-boyfriend — a man with a violent history who had been released from jail just one day before the fatal attack. According to prosecutors, Brand forced his way into their apartment and launched a vicious assault, stabbing Smith 15 times in front of her two young sons.

In an extraordinary display of courage beyond his years, Jayden stepped in to protect his mother, trying to shield her from the knife. Tragically, Brand turned the weapon on the boy, delivering a fatal stab wound to his chest. Jayden’s 5-year-old brother witnessed the horrific scene, a trauma that will forever mark his young life.

Smith, though critically injured, survived the attack — along with her unborn child — thanks to Jayden’s selfless intervention and the quick response of emergency crews. In the days following, the community mourned Jayden as a hero, honoring his bravery with candlelight vigils, memorials, and outpourings of support for his grieving family.

After more than a year of court proceedings, justice was finally delivered. On August 5, 2025, Crosetti Brand was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 60 years for home invasion. The judge condemned the crime as one of “pure evil,” noting the unimaginable pain inflicted on a family and the loss of a young life full of promise.

Jayden Perkins is remembered not only as a victim but as a protector — a child who, in his final moments, embodied the very definition of courage and love. His sacrifice will never be forgotten, and his story continues to inspire those who hear it to stand up for what is right, no matter the cost.