UPDATE: Charges Filed in Fatal Hit-and-Run

Updated at 4 a.m. July 21, 2012:

Charges were filed against a Chicago man in the hit-and-run death of Cook County Jail corrections officer Nikkii Bostic-Jones, 38.

The Chicago Tribune reported that 57-year-old Juan Bello is charged with reckless homicide and leaving the scene of a fatal accident. He was also cited for failure to yield to a pedestrian, driving too fast for conditions and driving on a revoked license.

Bello was taken into custody for questioning on Thursday, a day after the fatal hit-and-run crash.

Bostic-Jones, who lived in Plainfield, was crossing the street in front of Cook County Jail to begin her 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift Wednesday night when police said she was struck by a van, which pushed her into the path of an oncoming Cook County Sheriff's vehicle. She was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she was pronounced dead following the crash.

Original story:

Nikkii Bostic-Jones typically worked the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift at Cook County Jail, overseeing detainees in the Division 10 maximum security unit.

On Friday, coworkers, family and members of the Chicago Police Department gathered on California Avenue in front of Division 10 at 7 a.m. — the same time Bostic-Jones’ shift would have ended — to remember the corrections officer, who died late Wednesday night in a hit-and-run crash.

“We had an absolutely beautiful vigil this morning,” Cook County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Frank Bilecki said, adding Bostic-Jones’ husband, James, and 6-year-old daughter Nikkia attended the event, which included a balloon release in the fallen officer’s memory.

Chicago police said a suspect was in custody, but had not been charged in the death as of Friday morning.

A Chicago man told CBS 2 that he had been drinking with the suspect, who has not been identified, prior to the fatal accident.

“We had a few beers in my crib,” Enrique Lozano said. “It was an accident … It was nothing he wants to do, you know?”

Bostic-Jones, 38, was struck by what witnesses described as a navy blue, full-size conversion van as she crossed the street in front of the maximum security unit at around 10:40 p.m. Wednesday.

The impact pushed her into the path of an oncoming sheriff’s vehicle, pinning her underneath. She was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she was pronounced dead Wednesday night.

Bilecki said coworkers have rallied around the officer who was driving the squad car.

“Obviously, he’s having a tough time with the situation,” Bilecki said. “I think there is a tremendous amount of guilt, which hopefully [he] will overcome. I’ll just say that he was not the cause of the accident.”

James Jones told the Chicago Tribune that he and his wife had been together for 25 years. He described Chicago native Bostic-Jones as bubbly, but with a no-nonsense attitude that garnered respect from detainees.

"They respected her, she didn't have no problems,” Jones told the Tribune. “… She had the attitude that was bubbly, people were just drawn to her."

Bilecki said while the sheriff’s department wants to see justice for Bostic-Jones, they are confident the Chicago Police Department will take the time to build a solid case before charges are filed.

“To me, it’s not a surprise that charges haven’t been filed yet,” he said. “Obviously, we just want to make sure justice is seen.”

Bilecki said Sheriff Tom Dart spent several hours in Thursday with Bostic-Jones’ family. 

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