
ICE arrests man accused of concealing Antioch, Illinois woman's body
Jose Mendoza-Gonzalez of Waukegan, Illinois,, faces several charges associated with hiding Megan Bos' body after she disappeared in February.
None of the charges though were severe enough for detainment in Lake County, Illinois court, so Bos' loved ones say this development comes with complex emotions.
"I've never called her anything but my sister," said Jennie Szalay. "I call her mom my mom, her dad my dad."
Szalay and Bos were friends for three decades, going back to when they were nine years old. After Bos disappeared, Szalay was part of the team that circulated missing persons flyers around Waukegan.
The team met just 100 feet from the backyard where Bos' body was found hidden in a garbage can.
Bos was reported missing to the Antioch Police Department on March 9, according to Waukegan police. On Thursday, April 10, Antioch detectives went to a Waukegan business to question Mendoza-Gonzalez as a person of interest who had frequent contact with Bos.
During that conversation, which had to be translated into Spanish, Mendoza-Gonzalez talked about Bos going to his house on Feb. 19 but initially said she left after her visit, police said. After further conversation about her whereabouts and whether she was still alive, he said that he did not want to be arrested at the store but did not say why, police said.
The conversation moved to the Waukegan Police Department, where Mendoza-Gonzalez told detectives that Bos was in a container in his yard in Waukegan, police said. He went on to say that Bos had come over to his residence on Feb. 19, and at some point, she snorted some drugs, but he did not know what type of drug it was, police said.
Mendoza-Gonzalez then told detectives that she asked if she could hang out in his basement, which he let her do, police said. He went to another part of the house, tending to a leaky pipe, but when he returned, he found her, police said. He believed she had overdosed and was already dead, police said.
Police said Mendoza-Gonzalez said he was scared that he was going to be in trouble, so he left her in the basement for a few days before moving her to a container in his yard, where she remained until she was found by police.
Mendoza-Gonzalez, 52, is now charged with concealing Bos' death, abuse of a corpse, and obstructing justice.
Mendoza-Gonzalez was released to his home, as the charges didn't qualify for pre-trial detainment under Illinois' SAFE-T Act.
The defendant is now instead being detained by ICE. He is a Mexican national who could be deported before trial.
"We all slept better last night, knowing that A, no other person is going to get hurt right now, by him, at least; B, he didn't get to just go back home and sleep in his own bed," said Szalay.
"You have to keep in mind — it's two separate sovereigns doing two different things — the criminal case to put him in jail, and the immigration case possibly to deport him," said CBS News Chicago Legal Analyst Irv Miller.
Bos' loved ones are hoping to see the justice they wear across their hearts play out in court.
"Does this feel like justice? Absolutely. But is this where we stop? Absolutely not," said Szalay.
CBS News Chicago has reached out to ICE and to the Lake County, Illinois State's Attorney's office for next steps, but have not heard back
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Kansas sheriff's deputy shot and killed responding to domestic violence call
A 34-year-old Kansas sheriff's deputy was killed on Saturday when he was shot while responding to a domestic violence call, authorities said. Wyandotte County Sheriff's Deputy Elijah Ming was gunned down as he approached a home in Kansas City, Kansas, after a woman, concerned for her own safety, requested a deputy to accompany her as she moved out of the residence, officials said. Prior to the shooting, the woman informed police that a man with a gun inside the house had earlier threatened her and her friends when she first attempted to move out, according to officials. 'Deputy Ming gave his life serving Wyandotte County and all of its residents,' Wyandotte County Sheriff Daniel Soptic said at a news conference on Saturday, also noting that Ming was a 9-year veteran of the Wyandotte County Sheriff's Office. The shooting occurred at around 3:45 p.m. on Saturday in southwest Kansas City, according to Chief Karl Oakman of the Kansas City Police Department. Deputy Ming and an officer from the Kansas City Police Department went to the home to assist the woman move when a man inside opened fire on them without warning, striking Ming, Oakman said. The Kansas City Police officer was not injured, he said. Other officers raced to the house upon hearing of the shooting, according to Oakman. "As the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department was responding, the individual continued to fire on the responding officers, who then returned fire," Oakman said. MORE: Officer dies after gunman opens fire in 'ambush attack' in Ohio: Police Oakman said the suspect, later identified by law enforcement as 38-year-old Shawn Harris, was wounded in the gunfight and retreated back into the home, where he barricaded himself. Police negotiators spent about an hour talking to Harris over the phone before he surrendered, Oakman said. Harris was taken to a hospital to be treated, Oakman said, and was listed in good condition as of Saturday night. MORE: Shooting suspect ID'd in Santa Monica police officer 'ambush': Officials After visiting with Ming's family at the hospital, Kansas City Mayor Tyrone Gardner requested that the community to pray for them. "There are no words or comfort that can ever ease the pain of losing someone you love to senseless violence," said Gardner. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is leading the probe into the shooting and will present its findings to the Wyandotte County District Attorney's Office to decide what charges to file against the suspect, according to officials.
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Police looking to identify suspect who allegedly spat on, assaulted MBTA riders minutes apart
MBTA police are asking for help identifying a suspect who allegedly assaulted two people minutes apart at the Downtown Crossing Station earlier this month. On July 14, around 4:30 p.m., police say the suspect spat on one victim before hitting a 69-year-old woman around 15 minutes later at Downtown Crossing. Anyone who recognizes the suspect is asked to contact MBTA Transit police at 617-222-1050. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW


Fox News
10 minutes ago
- Fox News
Border expert says maritime interdictions create 'unique challenges' for law enforcement
Simon Hankinson, senior research fellow in the Border Security and Immigration Center at The Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital that maritime interdictions create a unique danger for law enforcement authorities.