Brittney Mitchell | Homicide Watch Chicago

Third man charged with botched 2014 home invasion that left Desmond Gunawardana and an accomplice dead

Jeff Mayes — Sun, 07 Feb 2016 13:33:20 -0600

By MITCHELL ARMENTROUT
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Brandon Perkins | Chicago Police

A Tennessee man is the third person charged in connection with a botched 2014 home invasion in Norwood Park that left homeowner Desmond Gunawardana, and their alleged accomplice Miran Cerimagic, dead.

Brandon Perkins, 22, was arrested on a first-degree murder warrant Wednesday for the Sept. 5, 2014, incident in the 5800 block of North Mobile, according to Chicago Police. Brittney Mitchell, 19; and 23-year-old Orhan Cerimagic have been held without bond on murder charges since then, Homicide Watch Chicago reported previously.

Mitchell thought an acquaintance, later identified as the 35-year-old Gunawardana, had a large stash of drugs at his home and schemed to steal them along with Perkins, Orhan Cerimagic and his 20-year-old brother Miran, prosecutors said at Mitchell’s bond hearing in the days after the attack.

Orhan Cerimagic (left) and Brittney Mitchell | Cook County sheriff’s office

She arranged to meet Gunawardana at the home about 10 p.m. and went inside while the other three waited in a car driven by Orhan Cerimagic about a block away, prosecutors said. Mitchell unlocked the back door and texted the others once she had done so, prosecutors said.

Miran Cerimagic and Perkins entered the home with a gun and zip ties that they planned to use to restrain Gunawardana, prosecutors said.

Once inside, a tussle ensued as Miran Cerimagic and Gunawardana grabbed knives and stabbed each other repeatedly, prosecutors said. The resident was stabbed in the neck and pronounced dead at the scene after authorities were called to the home about 11:30 p.m. for a well-being check, authorities said.

The others had ran back to the car and took Miran Cerimagic to Swedish Covenant Hospital, where he later died of his stab wounds, authorities said. He lived in the 6200 block of North Hoyne, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Both the deaths were ruled homicides.

Mitchell initially told police and hospital staff that Miran Cerimagic had been stabbed during a cellphone robbery, but later admitted to taking part in the break-in when detectives couldn’t confirm her story, prosecutors said.

The surviving trio were each charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of home invasion, police said.

Perkins was arrested Wednesday with the help of U.S. Marshals in his hometown of Ridgely, Tennessee, and ordered held without bond at a Saturday hearing, according to Cook County Circuit Court records. He has another court date Monday.

Mitchell, of the 4700 block of North Lamon, is due back in court Wednesday. Orhan Cerimagic, who lived with his brother on Hoyne, has a status hearing March 4.

UPDATE: Brittney Mitchell, Orhan Cerimagic held without bond for Norwood Park home invasion that left two dead

Michael Lansu — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 14:19:11 -0500

Brittney Mitchell / Photo from Chicago Police

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago

A man and woman were each held without bond for their alleged roles in a deadly home invasion gone bad that left both a resident and one of their accomplices dead.

Brittney Mitchell believed an acquaintance, Desmond Gunawardana, had "large amounts of narcotics stashed in his residence" and formulated a plan to steal the drugs with the help of Miran Cerimagic, Orhan Cerimagic and a third man, said Assistant State's Attorney Jamie Santini.

Mitchell, 18, made plans to meet Gunawardana, 35, at his home in the 5800 block of North Mobile Avenue about 10 p.m. Friday, Santini said.

Orhan Cerimagic, 22, drove the group to Gunawardana's home and Mitchell went inside while the other three waited in the car about a block away. Mitchell went inside, unlocked the backdoor and texted Orhan Cerimagic that she had unlocked the backdoor, Santini said.

Miran Cerimagic, 20, and the still uncharged 20-year-old man entered the backdoor with a gun and zip ties they planned to use to restrain Gunawardana, Santini said.

Gunawardana resisted and began to fight Miran Cerimagic, Santini said. Both men grabbed knives and stabbed each other multiple times, he said.

About 11:30 p.m., officers were sent to the home for a well being check and found Gunawardana stabbed to death in the kitchen, authorities said.

Gunawardana was stabbed in the head and neck and died at the scene, authorities said. The death was ruled a homicide.

After the fight, Mitchell Miran Cerimagic and the third man ran back to the car, and Orhan Cerimagic drove his brother to Swedish Covenant Hospital, Santini said.

Miran Cerimagic, of the 6200 block of North Hoyne Avenue, died at the hospital from stab wounds and his death was also ruled a homicide, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Santini said Mitchell told police and hospital staff that Miran Cerimagic was stabbed during a robbery. Police said detectives were initially told Cerimagic was walking with his girlfriend in the 6200 block of North Leavitt Street when a group approached and somebody stabbed him during a cellphone robbery, authorities said.

When detectives were unable to confirm the story, Mitchell admitted to her involvement in the robbery and murder of Gunawardana and was arrested, Santini said. Detectives also recovered text messages on her phone alerting Orhan Cerimagic that the backdoor was unlocked.

Orhan Cerimagic / Photo from Chicago Police

Surveillance video shows Orhan Cerimagic driving away immediately after hospital personnel wheeled his brother into the emergency room, Santini said. Based on information from Mitchell, police located Orhan Cerimagic and the car at his home in the 6200 block of North Hoyne Avenue.

Santini claims Orhan Cerimagic told another person he was going to rob Gunawardana and later called that same person to say "things went bad."

Mitchell and Orhan Cerimagic were each charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of home invasion, police said.

Mitchell lives with her mother in the 4700 block of North Lamon Avenue, her lawyer said. She has a GED but is currently not working.

Orhan Cerimagic graduated from Amundsen High School and attended University of Illinois for more than a year before leaving for financial reasons, his lawyer said. He had been working two retails jobs.

On Monday, Judge Donald Panarese ordered both Mitchell and Orhan Cerimagic held without bond and issued a next court date of Sept. 26.

Police: Brittney Mitchell, Orhan Cerimagic charged with murder in home invasion stabbing deaths of resident, accomplice

Michael Lansu — Sun, 07 Sep 2014 21:41:12 -0500

Brittney Mitchell / Photo from Chicago Police

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

A man and woman were each charged with two counts of first-degree murder for their roles in a fatal home invasion that left a resident and one of their alleged accomplices dead.

Miran Cerimagic, Orhan Cerimagic and Brittney Mitchell broke into a home in the 5800 block of North Mobile Avenue, authorities said.

About 11:30 p.m. Friday, officers were sent to the home for a well-being check and found a 36-year-old man stabbed to death in the kitchen, police said. The man, whose name was not being released Sunday, was dead at the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Less than 30 minutes later, police learned 20-year-old Miran Cerimagic died from stab wounds at Swedish Covenant Hospital, authorities said.

Detectives were initially told Miran Cerimagic, of the 6200 block of North Hoyne Avenue, was walking with his girlfriend in the 6200 block of North Leavitt Street when a group approached and somebody stabbed him during a cellphone robbery, authorities said.

Orhan Cerimagic / Photo from Chicago Police

Detectives later learned that story was not true and said Miran Cerimagic is believed to have stabbed the 36-year-old man during the home invasion, where he also suffered fatal wounds, police said.

Orhan Cerimagic, 22, also of the 6200 block of North Hoyne Avenue, and Mitchell, 18, of the 4700 block of North Lamon Avenue, were each charged with two counts of first-degree murder -- one for each death, police said. They were also each charged with one count of home invasion.

Orhan Cerimagic and Mitchell are expected to appear in court Monday for a bond hearing.

-- Contributing: Sun-Times Media Wire