Chicago, Illinois — Joshua Zimmerman, a Mississippi inmate who had been on the run for over two months, was apprehended in Chicago after a tense standoff at a West Side restaurant early Wednesday morning. Zimmerman, who had escaped from the DeSoto County Courthouse in Hernando, Mississippi, on June 14, 2024, was finally captured by U.S. Marshals at the Seafood Junction restaurant located at 2325 W. Madison St., just east of Western Avenue.
Zimmerman, 32, was facing serious charges, including attempted murder and armed robbery, at the time of his escape. These charges stemmed from an incident in September 2023, where he allegedly assaulted an elderly man who had hired him for work. Additionally, Zimmerman was awaiting extradition to Houston, Texas, to face murder charges in connection with the shooting death of a woman at a motel last year.
During his escape from the courthouse, Zimmerman changed out of his prison jumpsuit into civilian clothes and walked out undetected, taking advantage of the absence of officers at the time. Since then, he had been evading law enforcement, with multiple agencies, including the U.S. Marshals Service, actively searching for him.
The breakthrough came when authorities discovered Zimmerman had been working at Seafood Junction in Chicago. When U.S. Marshals attempted to arrest him, Zimmerman barricaded himself in the restaurant’s ceiling, prompting a standoff. A SWAT team was called to the scene, and Zimmerman was eventually apprehended without further incident.
The capture of Zimmerman ends a months-long manhunt and raises questions about how he managed to evade capture and travel from Mississippi to Chicago, where he secured employment. Authorities are now investigating the circumstances surrounding his escape, his time in hiding, and whether he had any accomplices.
DeSoto County Sheriff Thomas Tuggle announced that additional security measures have been implemented since Zimmerman’s escape, emphasizing the importance of preventing such incidents in the future.
The arrest has brought some relief to the victims and communities affected by Zimmerman’s alleged crimes, including the family of the woman who was killed in Houston and the elderly man he is accused of attacking in Mississippi.
John Chan, an employee at a neighboring restaurant, King Wok Gourmet, witnessed the moments leading up to Zimmerman’s arrest. "I’ve been watching it," Chan said. "I stayed up all night; I even got here at 4:30 in the morning. I noticed the SWAT team putting on their masks and knew something serious was happening."
Zimmerman now faces multiple charges across different states, including murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, and escape from custody. He is expected to be extradited back to Mississippi to stand trial before facing the charges in Houston. Authorities continue to investigate the case to determine how Zimmerman managed to evade capture for so long.