ST. CHARLES, Ill. — A second person wanted in connection with a January home invasion that left one man dead and another injured is now in police custody, officials said Thursday.
Jose Melendez was arrested Wednesday, Oct. 25, more than 10 months after the Jan.14 double shooting-home invasion in the 100 block of Walnut Drive. Melendez is charged with several felonies, including first-degree attempted murder, two counts of home invasion and unlawful use of a weapon by a convicted felon.
In January, Kane County prosecutors also implicated 26-year-old Panagiotis Koutroumbis with similar charges for his alleged role in the attack.
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Investigators conclude that Melendez, Koutroumbis and 26-year-old James Gherardini entered the St. Charles-area apartment through an unlocked sliding glass door. Once inside, the group reportedly zip-tied the hands of several occupants and demanded undisclosed items.
According to investigators, someone from inside the home called a 25-year-old man.
When the 25-year-old man arrived at the apartment, police say the armed suspects confronted him.
Upon his arrival, police said someone fired shots at the 25-year-old man and an exchange of gunfire ensued.
Following up on a report of shots fired, arriving officers allegedly witnessed Koutroumbis dragging a wounded Gherardini out of the apartment. Gherardini would later succumb to his injuries at a nearby hospital. Prosecutors allege that Gherardini was struck in the chest and fatally wounded amid the gunfire exchange.
Officers also learned that the 25-year-old man had been driven to a nearby hospital with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. He survived.
Police believe the isolated incident was a targeted attack.
Police released no booking photos of the suspects.