Jan. 13--Twice in the past month, men wanted for murder in Chicago have been caught hiding out in the college town of Iowa City.
"We certainly don't want to start a trend of homicide suspects coming to Iowa City," said Iowa City police Sgt. Scott Gaarde, who praised the work of his officers.
In the latest episode, Charles L. Johnson, 22, was taken into custody after being pulled over Monday night by Iowa City police, authorities said.
An arrest warrant charged Johnson with fatally shooting Lydell Lynch, also 22, on Nov. 7, 2014, according to court records and police.
About 1:30 a.m. that day, Lynch was found lying in the second-floor doorway of his apartment in the 7300 block of South Blackstone Avenue in the Grand Crossing neighborhood, police said.
He had suffered several gunshot wounds and was taken to Jackson Park Hospital and Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead less than an hour later, authorities said.
The warrant for Johnson's arrest was issued Nov. 11 after police learned he may have gone to Iowa City, where he had acquaintances, according to Gaarde.
When Iowa City police caught up with Johnson, they found marijuana on him and charged him with possession of a controlled substance as well, Gaarde said. Johnson was being held at the Johnson County Jail, where he is facing extradition to Illinois.
At the end of December, Iowa City police nabbed another man who was named in a warrant for a fatal shooting on Christmas Day in the Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side.
Lorenzo Jones, 29, was captured Dec. 29 at an apartment where he was staying in Iowa City, Gaarde said.
A warrant for Jones' arrest was issued Dec. 27 in connection with a double shooting on the 1900 block of South Trumbull Avenue, according to police and court records.
Shortly after 6 p.m. that day, Dennis Jones, 52, was shot at least twice during a domestic argument, police said. Another man, 42, was shot in his right leg. Both men were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where Jones was pronounced dead, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.
Iowa City police were alerted that Jones may have been headed there and could be armed with an assault rifle, Gaarde said. After learning where Jones was staying, the Iowa City Police Department's special response team and crisis negotiation teams took him into custody at the apartment complex, Gaarde said.
As of Tuesday morning, Jones was still in custody at the Johnson City Jail, pending extradition to Chicago.
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