(NewsNation) — A migrant who attempted to self-deport from Illinois to Mexico will instead be tried in north suburban Chicago on state charges of concealing the death of a 37-year-old woman.
The case of Jose Mendoza-Gonzalez drew attention earlier this year after police in Waukegan, Illinois, found the remains of Megan Bos in a container in his backyard. Police said the woman, who had been reported missing for weeks, may have died of a fentanyl overdose at his residence. Mendoza-Gonzalez, 52, who federal authorities said is in the U.S. illegally, is accused of covering up her death and obstructing justice. He was also charged with abuse of a corpse.
A judge initially released Mendoza-Gonzalez pending trial, under the “SAFE-T Act,” a relatively new system in Illinois that abolished cash bail. Bos’ mother, Jennifer Bos, said she “was floored” after the release.
“I couldn’t believe that they could let somebody who kept a body in his yard, in a container and destroyed all of the evidence, and they would just let him go back home, the next day — less than 24 hours,” she told NewsNation’s Mills Hayes.
Over the summer, Jennifer Bos was in Washington for a Trump administration event on the dangers of fentanyl when she caught the president’s attention.
“In about 30 seconds, I said, ‘This man did this to my daughter, and he’s walking free because of the SAFE-T Act,’” she said.
President Donald Trump told her, “Watch what happens.”
Three days later, Mendoza-Gonzalez was picked up by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But his detainment raised the question about whether he would be deported and evade charges in the U.S.
Jose Mendoza-Gonzales ordered held in Illinois
At a detention hearing in Illinois’ Lake County last week, Jennifer Bos said, a judge ruled Mendoza-Gonzalez was a flight risk based on recent requests he made to be allowed to return to Mexico. ICE transferred custody to local authorities, and he will be held in jail until his trial in January — the result Jennifer Bos had hoped for.
She said the case demonstrates why the SAFE-T Act needs to be reassessed. Illinois lawmakers abolished cash bail with the idea that it adversely affects poor people who don’t pose a public safety risk. Under the new law, judges can still order potentially dangerous people held before trial.
“There are good aspects of the SAFE-T Act itself, and I don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask … for it to be reviewed and pulled back and changed, so that it does benefit victims as much as it benefits the criminals,” Jennifer Bos said.
Megan Bos’ death is still under investigation.