Jose Luis Mendoza-Gonzalez
The man accused of hiding the body of a 37-year-old Antioch woman in a plastic garbage container attended a hearing in Lake County Wednesday by phone from a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility.
His defense attorney complained his physical absence from court proceedings was hampering trial preparations.
Jose Luis Mendoza-Gonzalez is charged with concealment of the death of Megan Bos, abuse of her corpse and obstructing justice.
Wednesday’s hearing focused on next steps for a case complicated by his July incarceration at the ICE facility following his pretrial release in the Bos case.
Defense attorneys argued his detention at the ICE facility is creating logistic challenges for the court proceedings in Lake County.
Mendoza-Gonzalez attended via telephone, while his public defense attorney, Jillian Kassel was in Lake County Judge Victoria Rossetti’s courtroom.
Kassel said she would like her client brought to the county to prepare for the trial. But Rossetti said he is not in the county’s custody, adding his offense was not detainable.
Mendoza-Gonzalez was charged following a near monthlong investigation into Bos’ disappearance.
Police said Bos was reported missing in March. On April 10, Mendoza-Gonzalez met with Antioch detectives and said Bos visited his Waukegan home Feb. 19 but left afterward, officials said.
When pressed on his statements, he admitted her body was in a container in his yard on Yeoman Street, authorities said.
Mendoza-Gonzalez told police Bos used drugs then appeared to overdose in his basement, authorities said. He told investigators he was afraid of getting in trouble, so he kept her body in his basement for a few days before moving it to the container, according to police.
Rossetti set an Oct. 2 date for the next hearing. The trial is scheduled for Nov. 10.
The judge is hoping future appearances will be done via video.
Megan Bos
Courtesy of Jennifer Bos
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