Mom Blames Heroin Addiction for Son's Assault on Pregnant Student

Aaron Parks, 17, is accused of sexually assaulting pregnant woman while under electronic monitoring in connection with previous attack

The mother of a teen charged with sexually assaulting a pregnant Chicago State University student says her son is "sick" due to his addiction to drugs.

Aaron Parks, 17, is charged as an adult in connection with last week's sexual assault of a 24-year-old woman who was attacked while putting books in her car in the 9800 block of South Indiana. The victim was approached by a knife-wielding man who forced her to perform numerous sexual acts before locking her in the car's trunk.

At the time of last week's attack, Parks was under orders to stay confined to his mother's home in the 600 block of East 100th Street after he was charged as a juvenile in the July carjacking of a woman who was forced into her car at gunpoint.

But the day after Parks was arrested for the most recent crime, Cook County authorities were unable to explain why he was able to leave home undetected at a time when he was supposed to be electronically monitored 24 hours a day.

Records obtained by NBC5 Investigates show that under the terms of his release, Parks was only allowed to leave home to attend school, seek medical treatment, or attend religious services.

His mother, who asked not to be identified, told NBC 5 that she believed on the morning of the assault that her son had left her home to register for GED classes at Olive Harvey College. But police say he instead traveled in the opposite direction -- a mile west of his home -- where the assault on the CSU student occurred.

She blames his behavior on his heroin addiction.

"He was a good kid. He went to school and last year is when I started noticing that he was sick," she said.

"I feel kind of responsible because he's my child. He needs help. He's sick, evidently to do something like this, and he need the help, and that's what the drugs did to him, you know?"

In the previous attack, Parks was charged with aggravated kidnapping, kidnapping, vehicular invasion, unlawful restraint, and aggravated assault. Under the conditions of his release, he was ordered to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet.

"If they're tracking these kids, they should have known when he was leaving out the house," Parks' mother said. "They should have been able to pick that up!"

Parks' mother says he had set off the alarm monitors in the past and authorities had come to her house looking for her son, but he was allowed to stay in her custody.

Why Parks' movements weren't detected wasn't clear. Because the home monitoring order stemmed from juvenile court, authorities refused Monday to discuss the case. Judge Michael Toomin asked his staff to prepare a report which was forwarded to the office of Chief Judge Timothy Evans. But late Monday, Evans' spokeswoman Rosemary Marasso declined comment.

"I hope to have something tomorrow," Marasso said.

Parks is being held without bond, and his mother expressed sympathy for his alleged victim.

"I'm sorry for the family that they had to go through this with this girl, because she didn't deserve it," she said.
 

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