Sterling police asking for public’s help to find man wanted in Dec. 8 home invasion case

STERLING — Sterling police are asking for the public’s help to find a Rock Falls man wanted in connection with a Dec. 8 home invasion in Sterling.

Baylee J. Gipson, 25, is wanted on a Whiteside County arrest warrant on charges of felony home invasion/causing injury, criminal trespass to property/persons present, mob action/force/more than two people, and battery with physical contact, according to court documents.

Gipson, Jaysiah A. Segobiano, 23, of Rock Falls, and Okita Lerma, 19, of Sterling, were formally charged Dec. 23 in Whiteside County, accused of entering a home in the 1000 block of Avenue K in Sterling on Dec. 8 and punching and kicking a woman who lives there. Lerma and Segobiano have made court appearances; both are represented by the Whiteside County Public Defender’s Office, according to court records.

Lerma was taken into custody Jan 3., and is being held in the Whiteside County Jail. Her next court appearance is a preliminary hearing set for 1 p.m. Jan. 13. She also is set to go to trial Feb. 11 for an aggravated battery/great bodily harm charge filed against her Sept. 12, 2023. A pretrial conference is set for Jan. 22.

Segobiano also was taken into custody Jan. 3. She has been released subject to pretrial release conditions. Her next court appearance is a preliminary hearing at 1 p.m. Jan. 13. Segobiano also was charged Dec. 9 with driving without a license and driving an uninsured vehicle and is to appear in court Jan. 21. In an unrelated case, Segobiano was charged Dec. 18 with unlawful possession of cannabis as a driver, driving without a license, operating an uninsured vehicle, improper lane usage and illegal transportation of alcohol.

Court documents indicate Gipson was sentenced Dec. 1, 2023, to two years in prison after pleading guilty to manufacturing/delivery of 30-500 grams of cannabis. Anyone who knows Gipson’s whereabout is asked to call Sterling police at 815-632-6600 or Whiteside County Crimestoppers at 815-625-7867.