A Waukegan man accused of concealing the death of an Antioch woman in April was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers over the weekend in Chicago.
Jose Luis Mendoza-Gonzalez, 52, was taken into custody by ICE officers Saturday, the Department of Homeland Security said.
At the time of his arrest, Mendoza-Gonzalez, an immigrant from Mexico, was awaiting his next court appearance in connection with the death of 37-year-old Megan Bos. He was charged with concealment of a death, abuse of a corpse and obstructing justice.
Mendoza-Gonzalez had made a court appearance in that case April 12, two days after his initial arrest. A judge ordered him released from custody pending trial.
Megan Bos’ mother, Jennifer Bos, said she was “in absolute shock” when a friend sent her an online news article about the ICE arrest. “I think people expected me to be upset that he was arrested by ICE,” Jennifer Bos said. “My intention the whole time is to bring attention to the fact that he was released after what he did to her.”
She speculated that a visit last week to Washington, D.C., to watch President Donald Trump sign the HALT Fentanyl Act may have played a role in Mendoza-Gonzalez’s capture. She said she passed a note to House Speaker Mike Johnson during the ceremony and briefly spoke to the president about her daughter’s case.
As he was leaving the room, Trump turned around and told her, “You watch what happens,” Bos said
Megan Bos had been reported missing March 9. She was known to spend time in the Antioch and Waukegan areas.
On April 10, Antioch police went into a Waukegan business to speak to Mendoza-Gonzalez, a person of interest who had frequent contact with Bos, the Waukegan Police Department said.
Mendoza-Gonzalez first told officers that Bos had visited his home in the 700 block of Yeoman Street on Feb. 19, but had left.
After further questioning, Mendoza-Gonzalez eventually told detectives that on Feb. 19, Bos was in his home inhaling drugs. He told detectives that Bos had asked if she could stay in his basement, and he agreed. He went to a different part of the home to fix a leaking pipe, and when he returned to the basement, he found Bos dead, police said.
Mendoza-Gonzalez told detectives he believed that Bos had overdosed. He said he was afraid of getting into trouble and left Bos’ body in the basement for a few days.
He eventually moved her body to a container in his yard, police said.
Mendoza-Gonzalez said he broke Bos’ phone the day after the alleged overdose and threw it in the trash. When asked what he planned to do with her body, he told detectives he didn’t know.
A search warrant was obtained and police found Bos’ body in a container on Mendoza-Gonzalez’s property, police said. An autopsy determined there were no signs of any trauma or a struggle to her body.
Contributing: Daily Herald