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Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Quirk in SAFE-T Act muddles death of Antioch woman
It was Winston Churchill who pointed out decades ago: 'A lie gets halfway around the world before truth gets its pants on.' A Lake County judge last week unfortunately found the British statesman's thoughts to be true. This after she followed the guidelines of the Illinois SAFE-T Act, which was signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker on Jan. 22, 2021. Associate Circuit Court Judge Randie Bruno was condemned in national media reports last week for releasing a Waukegan man charged with letting the corpse of an Antioch woman rot in his garbage bin for several weeks. 'Significant threats and harassment', authorities said, were forthcoming from morons who either don't know Illinois law, believed incorrect reporting or casually decided to ignore what are considered to be jailable offenses here. Authorities are investigating the threats for the judge's lawful actions in the first-appearance hearing of Jose Luis Mendoza-Gonzalez, 52, who has been charged with concealing the death, among other charges, of Megan Bos, 37. Yet, the damage was done after a U.S. Department of Homeland Security official said, 'It is absolutely repulsive this monster walked free on Illinois' streets after allegedly committing such a heinous crime.' This came after federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents picked up Mendoza-Gonzalez, an immigrant from Mexico, for being a 'criminal illegal alien.' He's scheduled to be deported, although the Lake County State's Attorney's Office is seeking to keep him in the U.S. to prosecute him for the Bos charges. While the alleged crimes are indeed gruesome and would seem to be enough to put an individual in jail until trial, they surprisingly don't fall under the guidelines of the SAFE-T Act. In this instance, the act required the judge to release the defendant until trial. Five years old, the law's effectiveness is still being debated, especially in the case of Megan Bos, whose cause of death remains under investigation. We need to remember the SAFE-T Act, pushed by the Democratic-controlled Illinois legislature, ended cash bail in the state, undercutting judicial discretion and stripping judges of the authority to determine either to jail alleged criminals before trial or set bond to allow them to roam free until their days in court. The law prohibits Illinois judges from independently initiating detention proceedings, regardless of the case or circumstances before them. That's an important consideration, obviously overlooked by detractors of Judge Bruno. In Lake County, State's Attorney Eric Rinehart campaigned heartily in favor of the act. It has seemed to work here until it doesn't due to quirks in the law. A statement issued July 22 from the office of Lake County Circuit Court Chief Judge Daniel Shanes spelled out the foibles in the SAFE-T Act. It notes that the charges in the death of Bos, which include abuse of a corpse and obstructing justice, are excluded in the law. As such, it 'forbids the court from holding an individual charged with the offenses against this defendant in jail prior to trial.' The legal community agrees that the SAFE-T Act created one of the most restrictive procedures in the nation for determining whether a person charged with a crime can be detained in jail before trial. Instead, according to the judicial statement, the act requires criminal defendants be released before trial unless a state's attorney's office charges them with certain detainable offenses specified by the statute, and a petition is filed seeking to detain defendants. In December 2024, the Illinois Judges Association issued a statement clarifying aspects of the SAFE-T Act: 'Judges must make detention decisions within the framework of the law.' In the case of Mendoza-Gonzalez, the State's Attorney's Office did not file a petition seeking to jail him because the charges weren't detainable. Bruno, an experienced jurist and former assistant state's attorney, placed him on pretrial release with conditions, including reporting to pretrial services and not leaving Illinois. 'Disinformation undermines our Republic,' the judicial statement from the chief judge's office said. 'Threats of violence and intimidation against judges weaken our democracy. Knowing what happens in court and understanding the law are essential to public trust.' So true. It's a sad America when judges receive threats for doing their jobs as quacks ignore what the law spells out. Wonder how many of these online threats come from Illinois residents? If they are Illinoisans, who should be familiar with the SAFE-T Act, they are targeting the wrong public official. They need to direct their ire at their legislative representatives who adopted the law.
Chicago Tribune
5 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
Law & Order column: Coroner corrects ‘misinformation' about death
The Lake County Coroner's Office recently countered what it called misinformation spread by federal immigration authorities in the case of Megan Bos, the Antioch woman whose corpse was found in a man's backyard. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office announced on July 20 that the man charged with concealing Bos' body had been arrested for immigration violations, and that Bos' head had been removed from her body. Luis Mendoza-Gonzalez was taken into custody in Chicago while awaiting trial on charges related to Bos' death. 'In response to recent inaccurate media reports, the Lake County Coroner's Office clarifies that Megan Bos was not decapitated,' the coroner's office said in a news release issued the day after ICE reported the arrest of Mendoza-Gonzalez. 'This misinformation has caused unnecessary distress to the family and misrepresents the facts of this investigation.' Mendoza-Gonzalez, a 52-year-old Waukegan resident, told authorities that Bos, 37, whom he knew, had come to his house in February, snorted some type of drugs and then died, authorities said. He said he put her body in a container in his backyard and broke her phone because he thought he would get into trouble, police said. He is alleged to have used bleach on Bos' body. Family members had spent weeks searching for her before her body was found in April. Mendoza-Garcia was charged with concealing a homicide, abuse of a corpse and obstruction of justice, but was not held in custody because the charges – all Class 4 felonies – are not detainable under the cashless bail program now in effect in Illinois. State's Attorney Eric Rinehart issued a statement saying Bos had not been decapitated, and that her cause of death had been ruled 'undetermined.' 'As we have told the family, we believe that a criminal trial and sentencing is more appropriate than deportation procedures,' the statement said. 'As people know, deportation to another country does not lead to prison in that country. If he were to agree to deportation, he could be free in days. We are hopeful that he will be brought to court so that he can be held fully accountable for his actions.' The arrest has sparked another round of criticisms of the cashless bail system instituted as part of the state's Safe-T Act. Suspects fled Gurnee police officers arrested two Racine men who fled a Wisconsin traffic stop after their car was spotted near Interstate 94. The pair, along with a third person, reportedly drove off from a Wisconsin police officer before crossing into Illinois. However, before entering the state, a Wisconsin police officer had deployed 'stop sticks' which flattened two of the vehicle's tires. Gurnee police responding to reports of a reckless driver found the vehicle near an auto parts store in the Grand Avenue /I-94 area. As officers approached the stopped vehicle, the occupants ran off. The three were detained after a coordinated response including police dogs and foot pursuit. One of the trio had an active warrant out of Racine, and another was charged with resisting arrest. The third person was released without charges, police said. Drug sale arrest Officers with the Special Investigations Group of the Lake County Sheriff's Office have arrested a Waukegan man on drug charges. Agustin Arias, Jr., 41, of the 900 block of Woodlawn Avenue, was arrested on July 17, police said, for selling cocaine. The sheriff's office said it received a tip that Arias, who lives near the Glen Flora Elementary School, was selling drugs. During the investigation, Arias made several drug sales to undercover officers, authorities said. On July 17, he was taken into custody during a traffic stop, police said. He has been charged with delivery of a controlled substance near a school. Child porn charge A Lake Zurich man was charged with child pornography counts after police searched his residence, according to the sheriff's office. Randall R. Grueb, 59, of the 800 block of Interlaken Drive, was taken into custody Thursday. Police said they learned that an electronic device in the home had been used to download and share thousands of child pornography images in recent months. Authorities said they discovered more than 100 images in Grieb's possession after searching.
CBS News
6 days ago
- CBS News
Illinois mom wants change to state law after man accused of concealing daughter's body was released
An Antioch, Illinois mom is pushing for changes to the state's SAFE-T Act that instituted bail reform, after the death of her daughter. The SAFE-T Act eliminated cash bail in Illinois and established a specific list of charges on which criminal defendants could be detained before trial. Jennifer Bos' effort to change the act is already gaining momentum. Jose Luis Mendoza-Gonzalez of Waukegan, Illinois, faces several charges for allegedly hiding the body of Jennifer Bos' daughter, Megan, after Megan Bos disappeared in February. Mendoza-Gonzales is specifically charged with two counts of concealment of a death, abuse of a corpse, and obstructing justice. Under the SAFE-T Act, none of those charges rose to the level of severity to warrant detainment in Illinois, though Mendoza-Gonzalez has since been picked up by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Megan Bos' funeral was held this past spring. But Jennifer Bos said her daughter's story is not finished yet. "This is how you make a difference a little bit at a time," said Jennifer Bos. "You just keep pushing, you keep using your voice, talking to anybody who will listen." Jennifer Bos is pushing for changes after Mendoza-Gonzalez — who stands accused of hiding Megan Bos' body in a trash can with bleach in a Waukegan backyard for nearly two months — was not eligible for pre-trial detention despite the imposition of Class 4 felony charges. Authorities said Mendoza-Gonzalez told investigators that Megan Bos had overdosed while he was out of the room. Jennfier Bos acknowledged that her daughter had a history of drug use and rehabilitation, and had relapsed in the weeks before her death. The Lake County coroner's office ruled the cause of Megan Bos' death was "undetermined." Jennifer Bos says she wants Mendoza-Gonzalez detained so he "can't have the comforts of home." Jennifer Bos believes someone should be detained until trial if charged with a felony offense. There was also a worry he's a flight risk because of his immigration status. "If you suspect this person could have killed somebody, would you not want to err on the side of caution and hold him until you could say otherwise?" said Jennifer Bos. "I mean, he was released in less than 24 hours. They hadn't even had a chance to investigate anything." It was a message that Jennifer Bos took all the way to White House, catching the ear of President Trump. Three days later, Mendoza-Gonzalez was detained, this time by ICE, as he is a Mexican national who's in the country illegal and whom ICE said is eligible for deportation based on the charges. ICE has also claimed that Mendoza-Gonzalez decapitated Megan. The Lake County state's***is the name of the office?*** attorney, the Bos family and The Lake County, Illinois coroner's office all have refuted that assertion. The coroner's office reiterated this week that Megan was not decapitated at any point before and after her death — and while her body was in a state of decomposition and had been exposed to chemicals, there were no signs of trauma or struggle. As a result, judicial personnel faced "significant threats and harassment" which the 19th Judicial Circuit Court in Lake County blamed on ICE Jennifer Bos said ICE's involvement in the case along with the knowledge that Mendoza-Gonzalez is able to "walk free" is a distraction that is bringing additional frustration and strife to her family. ICE says the judge is responsible for the release of Mendoza-Gonzalez. However, Jennifer Bos says she does not blame the judge — she says the SAFE-T Act is to blame, as it provides a narrow list of offenses under which a defendant is eligible for detainment before trial. "Her hands were tied," she said of the Lake County judge who presided over Mendoza-Gonzalez's detention hearing. "People think that they can still use their own discretion to decide and kind of override those rules, but they can't." The chief judge in Lake County and CBS News Chicago Legal Analyst Irv Miller also said ICE was incorrect about the discretion the judge had on whether to detain or release Mendoza-Gonzalez in this case. Jennifer Bos wants Illinois judges to have more discretion in determining whether or not a defendant should be detained before trial. She also has the support of some Illinois state lawmakers. "You know, we need to give judges that discretion," said Illinois state Rep. Tom Weber (R-Fox Lake), "because you know it, I think in anyone's mind, if you're looking at who is a flight risk a citizen of a foreign country." Weber said he is working with Jennifer Bos to repeal or amend the SAFE-T Act, which eliminated cash bail in Illinois and established a specific list of charges on which criminal defendants could be detained before trial. Jennifer Bos said she is trying to prevent other crime victims' families the kind of blindsided surprise her family endured when they learned that Mendoza-Gonzalez had been released.
Fox News
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Sanctuary city politicians have 'blood on their hands,' says DHS official
Assistant DHS Sec. Tricia McLaughlin criticizes sanctuary city policies after Megan Bos's body was discovered in a storage container at an illegal immigrant's home in Illinois and two migrants attacked a CBP officer in New York City.
Fox News
22-07-2025
- Fox News
Illinois coroner releases new details about woman found dead on illegal immigrant's property
An Illinois coroner has refuted claims that a woman found dead in a storage container at the home of an illegal immigrant was decapitated. The Lake County Coroner's Office released a statement Monday following its autopsy on Megan Bos, 37, saying a key finding contradicted media reports as well as a statement by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that claimed she had been beheaded. Bos' body was found by police in April in a container in a yard belonging to Jose Luis Mendoza-Gonzalez, 52, a Mexican illegal immigrant who was arrested and charged in the case but released after his first court appearance, sparking outrage. Bos' mother has slammed Illinois Gov. Immigration authorities in Chicago arrested him last week. "At no point was Megan decapitated before or after her death," the office said, adding that no signs of trauma or struggle were found in the April 11 autopsy. Bos's body was in an advanced state of decomposition and exposed to chemical substances, complicating cause-of-death analysis, the office said. "This misinformation has caused unnecessary distress to the family and misrepresents the facts of this investigation." A DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital that Bos' body was found badly dismembered and in a bleach storage container, in response to the coroner's statement. Bos' cause of death remains undetermined, with toxicology showing fentanyl, cocaine and morphine in her system, the coroner's office said. The coroner's office said her death is suspicious, potentially drug-related or homicidal, but not conclusively one or the other. The office said that asphyxial death is possible but hard to confirm due to decomposition. "These circumstances raise the suspicion of a homicidal death or possibly a drug-related death," the coroner's office said. "Asphyxial homicides may include no external or internal evidence of injury. Furthermore, the decomposition of the body at the time of discovery complicates interpretation of sometimes minute physical findings suggestive of asphyxia." Bos' body was found in a plastic garbage container in Mendoza-Gonzalez's yard in Waukegan, Illinois. "Fentanyl, cocaine metabolites and morphine were identified in the liver tissue, indicating recent potentially lethal cocaine, fentanyl and probable heroin use," the statement reads. "Making a distinction between an accidental drug intoxication and an asphyxial death based solely on the autopsy findings, both the absence of significant trauma and the presence of potentially lethal drugs in the decedent's body, is not possible." Mendoza-Gonzalez was arrested in April and charged with concealing a corpse, abusing a corpse and obstruction of justice but was ordered released by Lake County Judge Randie Bruno after his first court appearance. He was arrested again Saturday afternoon at a market in Chicago by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and remains in ICE custody, according to DHS. "It is absolutely repulsive [that] this monster walked free on Illinois' streets after allegedly committing such a heinous crime," a DHS spokesperson told Fox News previously. "Megan Bos and her family will have justice." Bos was reported missing on March 9, but family members said she disappeared in February. Mendoza-Gonzalez is accused of keeping Bos' body in his yard for nearly two months and abusing her corpse. Mendoza-Gonzalez allegedly told authorities Bos overdosed at his house and, instead of calling 911, he broke her phone and kept her body in the basement for two days before moving it outside, according to the report. After Mendoza-Gonzalez's release in April, Antioch Mayor Scott Gartner criticized laws that allowed the suspected criminal alien to be released, according to a report from affiliate FOX 32 Chicago. "I was shocked to find out literally the next day that the person that they had arrested for this had been released from prison under the SAFE-T Act less than, detained less, I think, than 48 hours," Gartner said. "There's other extenuating circumstances in this case. Not only the type of crime, how long the crime was concealed, the fact that the person that was arrested for this is not a U.S. citizen, and, you know, can maybe [flee] the country."
