Rock Falls woman pleads guilty to mob action, battery in Sterling home invasion case

MORRISON – A Rock Falls woman has been sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to mob action and battery in connection with what police have described as a home invasion in Sterling in December.

Jaysiah A. Segobiano, 24, pleaded guilty June 26 to one count each of mob action with force against two or more people, and battery, making physical contact, in connection with the events that unfolded Dec. 8 at a home in the 1000 block of Avenue K in Sterling.

Segobiano; Okita Lerma, 19, of Sterling; and Baylee J. Gipson, 26, of Rock Falls, were formally charged Dec. 23 in Whiteside County with entering a home and punching and kicking a woman who lives there.

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All three were charged with home invasion, causing injury; criminal trespass to property with people present; mob action with force – more than two people; and battery with physical contact, according to court documents.

Lerma pleaded guilty March 19 to mob action in a deal that included the dismissal of her three other charges. 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.

Segobiano also entered into a plea deal, which led to the dismissal of the home invasion and criminal trespass charges filed against her. She will serve 30 months of probation, according to court records. She must pay $3,081 in fines, fees and court costs.

In a separate case, she also pleaded guilty June 26 to unlawful possession of cannabis as a driver and possession of drug paraphernalia Dec. 13 and was ordered to pay $1,604 in fines, fees and court costs. Charges of being an unlicensed driver, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, improper lane use and transportation of alcohol as the driver were dismissed.

Gipson is being held in the Whiteside County Jail and is headed toward trial. He 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.

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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 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, 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 and was denied pretrial release, according to court records. His next court appearance is a pretrial conference Aug. 27, with his jury trial to start Sept. 16, according to court records.