A man has been arrested and charged with the murder of 18-year-old Hinsdale South grad Joshua Holmes, the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday.
Juan M. Cuellar, 23, of the 700 block of Lilac Lane in unincorporated Willowbrook, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Police say Cueller shot Holmes near the intersection of Honeysuckle Rose and Hyacinth Lanes near Holmes' home at around 6:35 p.m. Monday. Both men were residents of the Hinsdale Lake Terrace apartment complex in unincorporated Willowbrook, according to Dawn Domrose, a spokesperson for the DuPage County Sheriff's Office.
Witnesses told sheriff’s detectives after the shooting that they had seen a white four-door vehicle approach the intersection at that time and a male subject allegedly fired several shots at Holmes.
After he was shot, Holmes was transported to Adventist Hinsdale Hospital, where he died from his injuries.
“During the intensive investigation that followed, sheriff’s detectives, along with members of the sheriff’s multijurisdictional task force, identified Cuellar as the alleged shooter in this incident,” the release from Zaruba’s office reads. “Through collaborative teamwork of law enforcement agencies, Cuellar was located and taken into custody without incident.”
Cuellar is currently being held at DuPage County Jail. He has a 4 p.m. bond hearing.
In 2006, Cuellar appeared before a DuPage County Court judge on charges of mob action and assembly for an unlawful act, as well as unlawful use of weapons. According to court documents the unlawful weapons charge specified possessing a knife or club with intent to use. The 2006 charges stem from an arrest made by Wheaton Police, and the case has since been closed.
Cuellar’s mother, 42-year-old Elva M. Hernandez, has been charged with two felony counts of obstructing justice. Hernandez is currently being held at DuPage County Jail on a $150,000 dollar bond.
Holmes graduated from Hinsdale South earlier this year.
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