Attempted homicide suspect captured by Illinois police

(Published August 7, 2006, 8:29 a.m.)

By Mike Heine/The Week

A man suspected in the 2003 baseball bat beating of a Delavan man has been arrested in Illinois and transferred to the Walworth County Jail.

Jose F. "Fatty" Gomez, 23, was picked up by Joliet, Ill., police in mid-July on a Walworth County warrant charging him with attempted first-degree intentional homicide while armed and first-degree reckless injury while armed.

Gomez, of 116 N. Main St., Delavan, and two other men are suspected of nearly beating a Delavan man to death with a baseball bat and other blunt objects outside the man's home.

He was arrested in November 2003 but released after posting a $10,000 bond, according to court records.

A warrant was issued when Gomez failed to appear for an August 2004 hearing.

Three counts of felony bail jumping and two counts of misdemeanor drug possession were added to the charges against Gomez after police raided his home and reported finding marijuana.

According to a criminal complaint, witnesses reported seeing Gomez along with Santos Moronez, Jr., 27, and Jayme A. Manriquez, 29, beat a Delavan man in front of the man's home on South Third Street in September 2003.

A witness said they saw Gomez hit the man in the face with a baseball bat, according to the complaint. Moronez and Manriquez hit the man 10 to 15 times, according to the complaint.

The man was bloodied and severely injured when police arrived, according to the complaint.

Moronez pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of aggravated battery and spent a year in jail. As part of a plea agreement, Moronez agreed to testify against Gomez and Manriquez.

Manriquez has been missing since he skipped an August 2004 court appearance. He is wanted for attempted homicide, recklessly causing injury and two counts of bail jumping.