After nearly two and a half months of searching, police zeroed in on fugitive Joshua Zimmerman, who has been on the run since escaping from the DeSoto County Circuit Court Building in Mississippi on June 14.
The United States Marshals Service located Zimmerman at a restaurant in Chicago on Tuesday, authorities said, where he barricaded himself inside. The standoff continued late Tuesday night, with the restaurant surrounded by the Chicago SWAT team.
The investigation into Zimmerman’s escape has been extensive, with contributions from federal, state and local authorities.
“We have worked diligently for 68 days, along with various organizations, to close this case,” a DeSoto County spokesman noted. “We appreciate the public’s patience as we have intentionally kept details quiet to avoid the spread of misinformation.”
Officials said they are still focused on extradition plans and hope for a resolution soon.
“We are anxious to return Zimmerman to our detention facility so that we can thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding his escape,” the spokesperson said.
The high-profile case has received a lot of media coverage, with major networks and public figures like Dog the Bounty Hunter following developments closely. Acknowledging the wide interest in the case, the spokesman said: “This is a significant event, and we are determined to bring it to a successful conclusion.”
Zimmerman was accused of murdering a woman in Houston, Texas, in 2023. He was arrested on September 29, 2023 by law enforcement in Mississippi on separate felony charges, as reported last year by ABC News Houston station KTRK.
The additional charges included attempted murder, armed robbery, felon in possession of a firearm and a charge of theft of a car.
Zimmerman escaped custody when he was taken to the De Soto County Courthouse for a hearing along with several other inmates.
De Soto County District Attorney Matthew Barton explained that Zimmerman was able to slip away from the group, change clothes and remove his handcuffs. Surveillance cameras recorded Zimmerman leaving the courthouse wearing khaki pants and a white shirt.
ABC News’ Ben Stein contributed to this report