Cook County teen accused of shooting 16-year-old who was found dead in forest preserve last year

A 17-year-old boy has been charged as an adult in the murder of a teen found dead at a Cook County forest preserve last year.

Jahqwan Castillo, of Robbins, was charged as an adult with first-degree murder.

On Nov. 1, 2022, Cook County Sheriff's Police detectives responded to a call of a body found near the 14000 block of South Thornton Road.

When detectives arrived, they located 16-year-old Jaiden Howard unresponsive with a single gunshot wound to the back of the head.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

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While investigating, detectives identified the suspect as Castillo.

On April 17, a warrant was issued for the teen's arrest on the first-degree murder charge and a subsequent warrant was issued on May 18 on the charge of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon for a separate incident.

On Monday, Castillo was arrested in Lansing and charged accordingly. 

He appeared at a bond hearing Tuesday, where a judge ordered him held without bail.

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