Waukegan man charged after body of missing woman found in container in yard: police

WAUKEGAN, Ill. (WLS) -- A 52-year-old Waukegan man has been charged, after the body of a 37-year-old Antioch woman missing since early March was found in a container in his yard, Waukegan police said Monday.

Jose Luis Mendoza-Gonzalez has been charged with concealment of a death, abuse of a corpse and obstructing justice in the death of Megan Bos, Waukegan police said.

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Bos was reported missing from Antioch March 9.

Antioch and Waukegan police worked for weeks to locate her, police said.

On Thursday, Antioch detectives went to a Waukegan business to question Mendoza-Gonzalez, a person of interest who had frequent contact with Bos, police said.

Mendoza-Gonzalez said Bos came to his house Feb. 19, but initially said she left after the visit, police said.

Then, Mendoza-Gonzalez said "he did not want to be arrested at the store but did not say why," police said.

At the Waukegan Police Department, Mendoza-Gonzalez said Bos was in a container in his yard, in the 700-block of Yeoman Street in Waukegan, police said.

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He told police Bos had come over on Feb. 19 and, at some point, done drugs, police said.

He said he went to another part of the house, and when he came back she appeared to have overdosed and was dead, police said.

Mendoza-Gonzalez allegedly told police he was scared he would get in trouble; so, he left her in his basement for a few days before moving her to a container in his yard, police said.

Mendoza-Gonzalez said he broke her phone and threw it away after she died, police said.

Police found Bos' body on Thursday.

Mendoza-Gonzalez said he did not know what he was going to do with her body, police said.

The Lake County Coroner's Office conducted on autopsy Friday, and said there weren't any signs of trauma or struggle.

The investigation is ongoing, as police wait for further lab results.

Mendoza-Gonzalez had his first court appearance Saturday.