Sterling woman pleads guilty to mob action in Dec. 8 home invasion case

STERLING – A Sterling woman pleaded guilty to mob action and was sentenced to probation in connection with a December home invasion in Sterling.

Okita Lerma, 19, pleaded guilty March 19 to the charge in a plea deal that included the dismissal of three other charges: home invasion causing injury, criminal trespass to a residence knowing there was someone present and battery/making physical contact.

She was sentenced to 30 months of probation and 168 days in jail, with credit given for 168 days served. She also was ordered to pay $1,924 in fines and fees.

Lerma, along with Jaysiah A. Segobiano, 24, and Baylee J. Gipson, 26, both of Rock Falls, was formally charged Dec. 23 in Whiteside County with entering a home in the 1000 block of Avenue K in Sterling on Dec. 8 and punching and kicking a woman who lives there.

All four were charged with 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.

Lerma was taken into custody Jan. 3 and was held in the Whiteside County Jail until her March 19 court date.

She also pleaded guilty that day to charges in three other cases:

• an aggravated battery/great bodily harm charge filed against her Aug. 29, 2023. She was sentenced to 30 months of probation to be served concurrently with the December mob action sentence, and 84 days in jail with credit given for 84 days served. She was ordered to pay $1,129 in fines and fees and also must attend an anger management program.
• criminal damage to property, a misdemeanor charge filed against her Aug. 15, 2023. She was sentenced to 168 days in jail, with credit given for 168 days served, and ordered to pay $514 in fines and fees.
• leaving the scene of an accident. This charge was filed against her Aug. 27, 2023. Charges of not having a license and disregarding a stop sign were dismissed as part of a plea deal. She was ordered to pay $477 in fines and fees.

Two other cases were dismissed: a July charge of retail theft and a December charge of transporting alcohol as a passenger.

Segobiano also was taken into custody Jan. 3. She has pleaded not guilty and been released subject to pretrial release conditions. Her next court appearance is a pretrial conference at 9 a.m. April 23.

She also is set to appear in court that day for charges of driving an uninsured vehicle and failure to have a driver’s license filed Dec. 7, and charges filed Dec. 13 that accuse Segobiano of unlawful possession of cannabis, being an unlicensed driver, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, improper lane use, transportation of alcohol as the driver and possession of drug paraphernalia.

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. That case was dismissed Jan. 21.

Gipson was taken into custody on a warrant about 9:30 a.m. Feb. 25 after he was spotted by Sterling police and tried to run, according to a Sterling Police Department news release.

Gipson was walking in the area of West Ninth Street and Ash Avenue in Sterling when police saw him, according to the release.

Gipson ran from officers and, after a short foot pursuit, was detained and searched, according to the release. Police found a loaded firearm in Gipson’s possession along with about 266 grams of cannabis and multiple other controlled substances, according to the release. He was charged with armed violence, being a felon in possession of a weapon, and two counts of possession of a controlled substance and possession of 100 to 500 grams of cannabis, according to court documents.

He pleaded not guilty March 10 to all charges in both cases, was denied pretrial release and is being held in the Whiteside County Jail, according to court records. His next court appearance is a pretrial conference set for 9 a.m. April 23.