A man wanted for a shooting earlier this year in northwest suburban Palatine was arrested last week in Mexico.
Javier Ponce, 19, was wanted on a warrant for two counts of attempted murder for the April 28 shooting in the 1900 block of June Lane, according to a statement from Palatine police.
Investigators learned Ponce, who lived in Palatine, fled Illinois after the shooting, police said. The U.S. Marshals Service Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations later determined he went to Mexico.
Mexican authorities arrested him July 20 for violating Mexican immigration laws and deported him back to the U.S., according to police. The U.S. Marshals Service took him into custody once he was back in the country.
Ponce remains in custody at the Montgomery County Jail outside of Houston, Texas, police said. He is awaiting extradition to Illinois.
Police said the initial shooting happened during a drug deal. A 19-year-old man and 15-year-old boy were standing near the entrance of an apartment “waiting to complete a drug transaction” when Ponce walked up and fired multiple shots, striking them both, police said. He then ran to a waiting vehicle that was parked in a nearby lot.
Both victims were taken to Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, police said. The 15-year-old was critically hurt and the man was stabilized.
