Former NFL player Sergio Brown, who was wanted for the murder of his mother, has been arrested in California after being deported from Mexico, police said on Wednesday. Brown is expected to face a first-degree murder charge in Illinois, where his mother’s body was found near their home last month.
Mother’s death ruled a homicide
Brown’s mother, Myrtle Brown, 73, was reported missing on September 16 by relatives who were unable to contact her or her son. Police searched the home they shared in Maywood, a suburb of Chicago, and discovered her body in a creek not far from the residence. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that she died from multiple injuries sustained during an assault and ruled her death a homicide.
Brown posted videos online claiming ‘fake news’
Brown, 35, who played for four NFL teams during his six-year career, had traveled to Mexico after his mother’s death and posted rambling videos and messages online in which he called the reports of the murder “fake news”. He also claimed that his mother was on vacation in Mexico and accused the FBI and the Maywood Police Department of being involved in the case. Police said they were investigating the authenticity of the videos.
Brown arrested in San Diego after deportation
On Tuesday, Brown was taken into custody by Mexican authorities and deported to San Diego, California, where he was arrested by local police. He is now awaiting extradition to Illinois to face the murder charge. Police said they are still working to determine a motive for the killing.
Brown’s family urges justice
In a statement released last week, Myrtle Brown’s family said they were “heartened by the news that Sergio Brown has been apprehended and returned to the United States unharmed”. They also urged officials to advance the case and said they had not been in contact with Brown since his disappearance. “No family should bear the weight of uncertainty regarding the circumstances of their loved one’s passing,” the statement said.
Brown played as a safety for Notre Dame University before signing with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He also played for the Indianapolis Colts, Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars before leaving the NFL in 2016.
