A Rockford man is facing some of the most serious charges on the books after police say he stabbed another man eight times over a $200 debt, then dragged the victim's young son, barefoot, into a nearby residence. Darius Stubbs, 33, was arrested Saturday after officers found the boy inside a building in the 1300 block of Broadway and took the suspect into custody in a rear stairwell.
Construction Workers Flag Down Officers
According to MyStateline, officers were called to the area of 10th Street and Broadway around 11:07 a.m. on Oct. 31 after reports of a stabbing. When police arrived, construction workers directed them to a man who was bleeding heavily from his head, the outlet reports. Authorities determined the victim had been stabbed eight times, and medical personnel told police he suffered multiple stab wounds to the chest and head.
Investigators said Stubbs had gone to the victim's 10th Street house earlier that day to collect $200 he was owed. When the victim did not pay, Stubbs told police he stabbed him, according to the same report.
Witnesses Describe Boy Dragged Inside, Feet Soaking Wet
As officers worked the scene, witnesses directed them to a residence in the 1300 block of Broadway after reporting they had seen the suspect going inside while dragging a young shoeless boy. The witnesses told police the boy's feet were “soaking wet,” per the account.
Police said Stubbs forcibly took the victim's son from the scene and brought him back to the Broadway residence. Officers located the child on the first floor of the building, then found and arrested Stubbs in the rear stairwell. The knife used in the crime was later found behind a dresser inside the home, the report notes.
Charges and Booking
Stubbs has been charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery, aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, and aggravated kidnapping. He was booked into the Winnebago County Jail pending the outcome of a pretrial detention hearing.
A Broader Backdrop of Falling Violent Crime
The case lands against a citywide backdrop of declining violence. Rockford Police Department figures show violent crime fell 16.5% to 1,359 incidents in 2025, as reported by MyStateline, though Rock River Current put the same year's decline at 16%, marking the fourth consecutive year of improvement. That outlet reported the city's violent crime total fell to 1,359 incidents, an average of less than four per day, with homicides dropping from 18 to 12 and aggravated assaults down 17%.
Rock River Current also reported that domestic violence accounted for 52% of all violent crime in Rockford last year, up from 50% in 2024, and that police cleared 11 of the city's 12 homicides for a 92% clearance rate. Property crime told a more mixed story, with Rock River Current noting burglaries and theft up nearly 1% and auto thefts rising 22%. MyStateline similarly found property crime nearly flat at 3,868 incidents, with auto thefts climbing 22% to 808, while shots-fired incidents fell 31% and the number of people struck by gunfire dropped 55% to 37.
Looked at over a longer stretch, MyStateline reported that violent crime in Rockford has fallen about 48% since 2016, amounting to three fewer violent incidents per day on average compared with a decade ago. The outlet's comparison of mid-sized Illinois cities found Peoria's homicides fell 45% to 12 in 2025, while Springfield reported overall crime down nearly 5%, with property crime dropping 8.3%.
