A judge on Tuesday ordered a Vernon Hills woman held in custody after she was the fourth suspect charged in connection with the murder of a restaurant owner in Waukegan.
The Waukegan Police Department and Waukegan Fire Department responded around 11:30 p.m. on February 8 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 Veronica Roque, 37, of Waukegan, 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 Roque, 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 Jordan Roque walked downstairs after saying he was going to get his brother, Gonzalez, and kill Kirkwood, according to the witness.
Jordan Roque returned upstairs with Gonzalez and an argument ensued with the three, escalating into a physical fight.
Jordan Roque pulled out a large kitchen knife and stabbed Kirkwood, the witness reported.
Jordan 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 Jordan Roque then ran out of the restaurant and across the street.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Kailey Hopkins said Veronica Roque told other employees not to talk to the police about what had happened and to lie to them.
She also told the employee to tell police there was no video footage even though there was, Hopkins said.
Veronica Roque was also heard telling witnesses to “go home” as police arrived at the murder scene, Hopkins said.
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 Veronica Roque, who initially refused to speak with them or provide her information.
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 Jordan 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 Jordan 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 Jordan Roque, in the car — to Vista Medical Center East for treatment.
Cannon said Jordan 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 was registered to Veronica Roque.
Two handguns and numerous unknown pills were located inside the vehicle along with a digital video recorder (DVR), suspected to be from the business’ camera system.
Hopkins said one of the guns was loaded and the other was unloaded. Veronica Roque does not have a Firearm Owner’s Identification card or concealed carry license.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Nicholas Shepherd said Monday that the video footage recovered from the restaurant’s office showed Heaven Dominguez, 26, of Vernon Hills, going to the DVR with Vernonica Roque before the video cut out.
DVR footage from a hallway showed Dominguez walking down the hallway with the DVR in hand, Shepherd said.
Shepherd said Dominguez was then seen walking outside towards a white SUV and placing the DVR into Vernoica Roque’s white Ford SUV.
Gonzalez was arrested after being released from the hospital and charged with one count of first-degree murder.
Detectives attempted to locate Jordan Roque but were unsuccessful. He later turned himself in to the Waukegan Police Department on February 10.
Jordan Roque was later charged with one count of first-degree murder. He is charged as an adult.
Veronica Roque was charged with two counts of obstructing justice and four counts of aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon.
An arrest warrant was issued for her on February 14 and she was taken into custody on February 21 at the Lake County Jail after turning herself in.
An arrest warrant was issued for Dominguez on Wednesday and she was taken into custody on Sunday.
Dominguez was charged with one count of obstructing justice, a Class 4 felony, for her alleged actions in attempting to hinder the murder investigation.
Court records show that Dominguez was on pre-trial release at the time of the incident for a battery case out of Waukegan.
Court records show Veronica Roque was also on pre-trial release at the time of her arrest for an aggravated battery causing great bodily harm and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon case out of Fox Lake that occurred in April 2023.
Prosecutors last month filed petitions to detain Veronica Roque, Jordan Roque and Gonzalez and judges granted the petitions.
Prosecutors have filed a petition to revoke Dominguez’s pre-trial release in her prior case for violating her release conditions. Her new charges of obstructing justice are not detainable under Illinois’ cashless bail law.
Dominguez appeared Tuesday afternoon for a pre-trial release revocation hearing.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Colleen McConnell said during the hearing that Dominguez, an employee at the restaurant, was an “active participant” in the cover-up of Kirkwood’s murder.
McConnell said that the woman was uncooperative with investigators from the start of the investigation despite being a material witness.
Dominguez initially told police she did not see anything and officers asked her to remain at the scene but she left in an Uber, McConnell said.
McConnell said Dominguez told other co-workers to lie to the police about what happened.
Surveillance video showed Dominguez was in the room during the murder and attempted to pull one of the assailants off of Kirkwood before soon after tampering with the DVR system, McConnell said.
McConnell argued that Dominguez has an established criminal history of failing to abide by court orders.
Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim granted the petition to revoke Dominguez’s pre-trial release in her prior case.
She is being held in the Lake County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court again on April 3 for a preliminary hearing.