Murder charges have been filed against a second suspect, a 16-year-old boy, after prosecutors say he stabbed a restaurant owner to death during a gender reveal party in Waukegan.
The Waukegan Police Department and Waukegan Fire Department responded around 11:30 p.m. Saturday to 41 14 Forty One Fourteen Steaks and Seafood, 2120 North Green Bay Road, for a report of a stabbing.
Police arrived and made contact with a woman who had a stab wound to her leg, according to Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Elizabeth Cannon.
Officers also located an unresponsive victim, later identified as Joshua Kirkwood, 51, of Waukegan, with numerous stab wounds.
Officers performed CPR on Kirkwood until paramedics arrived and took over care, Cannon said.
Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek said paramedics rushed the man to Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan where he was pronounced dead.
He was the owner of the restaurant and also owned Create Your Own Cheesecake and Cheesesteak in Waukegan.
Cannon said Kirkwood suffered numerous stab wounds, including to his wrist, back and right side.
Police learned from Vista Medical Center East around 20 minutes later that a third person, Iziah T. Gonzalez, 21, of Round Lake, suffered a stab wound and had arrived in the emergency department seeking treatment.
Officers spoke to two employees who were working at the time of the incident.
One of them said that Kirkwood and the woman, who was in a relationship with Kirkwood and a manager at the restaurant, were having a “heated discussion” in Kirkwood’s office, which was typical for them, Cannon said.
The woman’s son, Jordan Roque, 16, of Waukegan, was upstairs and heard the verbal argument between his mother and Kirkwood.
Cannon said Roque walked downstairs after saying he was going to get his brother, Gonzalez, and kill Kirkwood, according to the witness.
Roque returned upstairs with Gonzalez and an argument ensued with the three, escalating into a physical fight.
Roque pulled out a large kitchen knife and stabbed Kirkwood, the witness reported.
Roque tossed the knife in the kitchen area, Cannon said. The nine-inch knife was covered in blood and found on the kitchen island by police.
Cannon said Gonzalez and Roque then ran out of the restaurant and across the street.
The girlfriend of Kirkwood told other employees not to talk to the police about what had happened, the witnesses reported.
Officers found no evidence that Kirkwood had any weapons on his person during the incident, Cannon said.
Detectives went to Vista Medical Center East and spoke with the girlfriend of Kirkwood, who initially refused to speak with them.
Detectives then spoke with Gonzalez who said that he and his wife had rented out the basement of the restaurant for a gender reveal party.
Gonzalez said his 16-year-old brother had come down to tell him that their mother and Kirkwood were arguing, Cannon said.
Gonzalez reported that the two went upstairs and Kirkwood began saying he would “throw hands” with Gonzalez and his brother and that everyone should leave.
Kirkwood took a step toward Gonzalez and Roque and Gonzalez grabbed Kirkwood by his shirt and the two began fighting, Gonzalez told investigators.
Gonzalez said he noticed his hand and fingers were injured and saw Roque drop a knife at the end of the fight, Cannon said.
The two ran out of the restaurant and Gonzalez drove himself — with his family, including Roque, in the car — to Vista Medical Center East for treatment.
Cannon said Roque fled on foot after they arrived at the hospital.
Gonzalez suffered a deep laceration to part of his finger that required stitches to re-attach the finger.
Gonzalez also told police that Kirkwood and his mother had been dating for a long time and that Kirkwood was physically abusive toward his mother but that she continued dating him, Cannon said.
Chastain said a search warrant was obtained for a 2011 Ford Explorer, which belonged to Kirkwood’s girlfriend.
Two handguns and numerous unknown pills were located inside the vehicle along with a digital video recorder, suspected to be from the business’ camera system.
Gonzalez was arrested after being released from the hospital and charged with one count of first-degree murder. Prosecutors filed a petition to detain him pending trial.
Detectives attempted to locate Roque but were unsuccessful. He later turned himself in to the Waukegan Police Department on Monday.
Roque has since been charged with one count of first-degree murder. He is charged as an adult.
Gonzalez appeared in First Appearance Court on Monday and Roque appeared in First Appearance Court on Tuesday.
Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim ordered both detained until their detention hearings, which he scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
Court documents refer to Kirkwood’s girlfriend as a defendant in the case but court records do not show that she has been charged yet.
Chastain said the police department will be screening the case with the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office for potential charges following the discovery of the items in her car.
Editor’s Note: The Waukegan Police Department has refused to release the booking photo for Roque, who is a juvenile but charged as an adult. A Freedom of Information Act request has been filed with the department.