Immigration authorities have taken into custody a Mexican national accused of one of the most gruesome crimes in recent Illinois history—decapitating a missing woman and storing her corpse in a bleach-filled storage container.
Jose Luis Mendoza-Gonzalez, 52, of Waukegan, Illinois, was initially arrested in April and charged with concealing and abusing a corpse, as well as obstruction of justice, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Shockingly, just after his first court appearance, Lake County Judge Randie Bruno ordered Mendoza-Gonzalez released from custody.
On Saturday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents re-arrested Mendoza-Gonzalez at a marketplace in Chicago. He is now being held in ICE custody, DHS confirmed.
In April, Waukegan police discovered the remains of 37-year-old Megan Bos in a container located in Mendoza-Gonzalez’s backyard. Bos had been reported missing on March 9, though her family believes she vanished sometime in February.
According to DHS, Bos’s body had been decapitated and placed in a container filled with bleach in an apparent effort to conceal the crime. Authorities say Mendoza-Gonzalez kept her remains on his property for nearly two months.
“This monster had no business walking free after allegedly committing such a vile and brutal act,” a DHS spokesperson told Fox News. “Megan Bos and her family deserve justice.”
Mendoza-Gonzalez allegedly told authorities that Bos had overdosed in his home. Rather than seeking help, he reportedly broke her phone, left her body in his basement for two days, and then moved her into the container outside.
The case has drawn intense criticism from local officials. Antioch Mayor Scott Gartner blasted the state’s criminal justice reforms—particularly the SAFE-T Act—which allowed Mendoza-Gonzalez to be released just 48 hours after his initial arrest.
“I was stunned,” Gartner said. “This was no ordinary case. The crime was brutal, the body was hidden for nearly two months, and the suspect isn’t a U.S. citizen. There was every reason to believe he might flee.”
State Rep. Tom Weber (R-IL) echoed those concerns, questioning why someone accused of such disturbing conduct would be freed pending further investigation.
“Someone who hides a body in a garbage can for 51 days after leaving it in a basement and breaking the victim’s phone to avoid detection—how is that not a detainable offense?” Weber said. “We need to wait for a toxicology report, but common sense should have kept this man in custody.”
ICE continues to investigate the case and has filed a detainer to ensure Mendoza-Gonzalez remains behind bars and does not disappear again into the public.
