Man pleads guilty to murder of Chicago Police Officer Aréanah Preston, gets 55 years in prison
A man was sentenced to 55 years in prison on Thursday after pleading guilty to his role in the 2023 murder of Chicago Police Officer Aréanah Preston.
Joseph Brooks, 22, pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree murder before his sentence was handed down.
Many in the courtroom wiped away tears as Preston's mother read her victim impact statement, reliving the day she said her life changed forever.
Preston's mother spoke in court surrounded by loved ones and her daughter's colleagues. In her victim impact statement, Dionne Mhoon said to Brooks, "You're doing 55, I've got it for life."
"There's not enough time to give him. Arie can never come back. I'll never get her back," she said after the sentencing hearing.
Preston, 24, was shot and killed in a robbery attempt outside her Avalon Park home in May of 2023, just after finishing her shift. She was just starting her police career and only days away from earning her master's degree.
Three others – Trevell Breeland, 22, Jakwon Buchanan, 21, and Jaylen Frazier, 19 – have been charged in her murder and are still awaiting trial.
They all face multiple felony charges, including first-degree murder, armed robbery, possession of a stolen vehicle, and burglary.
Police have said the four men tried to rob Preston, who was off duty but still in uniform, as she was just getting home from work in the 8100 block of South Blackstone Avenue on May 6, 2023. At least two of the suspects, including Brooks, started shooting at Preston, who returned fire.
Investigators have said all four were also connected to multiple robberies and a car theft before killing Preston. All four were teenagers at the time of the shooting and have lengthy juvenile records.
Preston's family said the alleged motive for the robberies was for the four to get money to have a barbecue the next day.
"For a barbecue. I just … that's just … it's not … I have no words," Mhoon said.
Prosecutors said Brooks' DNA was found on shell casings at the scene, and his cell phone pinged at crime scenes from the robbery spree. As he was sentenced, he addressed the court, telling Preston's family he was sorry, saying "I got caught up in a fast life. … I never meant for Officer Preston to lose her life."
Trial dates are still not set for the other three men charged in Preston's murder. Mhoon said she will be at every court appearance for each defendant.
"I'm going to stand in her shoes. I'm always going to be at the forefront for her, no matter what, rain, sleet, hail, snow. No matter what, I'm going to be there," she said.
