Police: Fugitive expected to face murder charges in Romeoville homicide case

Federal agents arrested a Plainfield man who is expected to face murder charges for allegedly killing a 28-year-old man who was fatally shot at close range with a sawed-off shotgun, according to a Will County Sheriff’s Office news release.

Dieontae Ricky Sparks, 19, was apprehended Thursday in Atlanta by the U.S. Marshals Service Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force, according to the sheriff’s office.

Sparks is being held at the DeKalb County jail in Decatur, Georgia. When he is extradited to Illinois, he is expected to face murder charges, the sheriff’s office said.

Sparks was present at the scene of a homicide in the 1700 block of Sierra Trail in Romeoville, according to police. Reginald M. Harris of Joliet suffered a gunshot wound to the torso. Harris later died as a result of his injury.

Romeoville police, with help from the Will County Sheriff’s SWAT team executed a search warrant in the 20800 block of West Barrington Lane in Plainfield in connection with the fatal shooting, according to police.

Law enforcement officials found evidence that led them to obtain an arrest warrant for Sparks, who lived in that block of Barrington Lane, on charges of unlawful possession of a shotgun with a barrel less than 18 inches long and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon.

Sheriff’s deputies worked with Romeoville police to track down Sparks, who was aware of the arrest warrant and fled Illinois, according to police. Investigators later located Sparks in Atlanta, police said.