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.