Who is Darius Sullivan? Man who executed officer Marelene Rittmanic has been arrested 21 times
KANKAKEE COUNTY, ILLINOIS: Darius Sullivan, a 25-year-old man accused of killing an Illinois police officer last week, was wanted for battery and had been arrested 21 times and charged with 43 crimes in the past seven years. Sullivan was arrested for the murder of Bradley Police Sgt Marelene Rittmanic on December 29, 2021. He has been involved in various other crimes around Kankakee County.
Sullivan has previously been charged for burglary, possession of stolen firearms, criminal damage to government property, theft, resisting arrest, driving while under the influence, and battery. When he gunned down Rittmanic with his 26-year-old girlfriend, Xandria Harris, some of his cases were still open. On Wednesday, January 5, he was denied bond and was extradited from Indiana. He is facing murder and attempted murder charges along with Harris.
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Marlene Rittmanic reportedly pleaded for her life when Sullivan killed her. She was murdered with her own service weapon at a Comfort Inn Hotel on the 1500 block of Illinois Highway 50 last week. Following a manhunt, Sullivan was taken into custody in Wabash County, Indiana.
Rittmanic and officer Tyler Bailey had to go to the hotel for a call of unattended dogs in the parking lot. They learned upon reaching that Sullivan had outstanding warrants for his arrest. Sullivan attacked officer Bailey, who was wounded in the head. He then chased down Rittmanic and killed her in cold blood.
Sullivan's open cases dated back to February 2021. Last year, he was charged for driving with a suspended license, driving without insurance, and driving without vehicle registration. He did not show up in court on March 30, which was his scheduled date for appearance. Illinois State Police charged Sullivan in April for driving without insurance and while in possession of marijuana. He was released and asked to appear in court on June 16. A warrant was issued for his arrest after he did not show up in court. Another warrant was issued for his arrest on July 12 after he failed to show up in court to face a May 5 misdemeanor battery charge in Bradley.
At the age of 19, Sullivan was arrested by Kankakee City Police for burglary and felony possession of a stolen firearm. He pleaded guilty to the burglary charges and was subsequently given 36 months probation. In May 2015, he was arrested again for damaging government property and theft. He was then sentenced to 30 more months probation.
In 2017, he was arrested for burglary and theft charges, and driving without a license or insurance. In 2018, he was arrested for resisting a Kankakee City Police officer in May. In the years to come, Sullivan was arrested as many as 17 more times and received a total of 43 charges from Kankakee County Sheriff's office and the Bradley, Manteno, and Illinois State Police Departments. He has three children with Harris, who is pregnant at present.
Following the murder of Rittmanic, 49, a prosecutor said that he will ask federal prosecutors to pursue a death sentence for the suspects. Illinois is not a death penalty state. However, Kankakee County State's Attorney Jim Rowe has said that the US Attorney General can authorize the filing of a petition seeking the death penalty under some circumstances in a federal murder case. "I will be submitting an official request to the U.S. Attorney General for the Central District of Illinois and to the U.S. Attorney General to review the first degree murder case pending against Darius Sullivan and Xandria Harris for federal murder charges, and pursue a federal sentence of death against both defendants," Rowe said.