Naperville police make arrests in Tuesday slaying

John Rosales was set up.

His last day alive was spent getting high and playing video games with two men who are now accused of arranging the robbery that led to the 23-year-old Naperville man's death, police said Thursday.

"It was basically a robbery of drugs gone bad," Naperville police Chief David Dial said. "It was not intended initially to be a murder, but it happened."

Dial detailed the final minutes of Rosales' life during a news conference Thursday announcing the arrest of five men who are all now charged with first-degree murder, home invasion and armed robbery.

"Basically what happened is throughout the day, on the last day of March, there were many people in and out of (Rosales' townhouse) on Sheehan Drive and in the evening five people remained in the house," Dial said. "They remained in the house throughout the evening using narcotics and playing video games."

Dial said two of the men inside the unit also were victims, but the other two set Rosales up. Those men are Aurora residents Cherrod Moore, 27, and Courtney L. Mayes, 21.

Police said the pair conspired for several weeks with Reginald D. Chandler-Martin, 21, of Aurora and Tyrell Jackson, 20, of Villa Park to rob Rosales. Police said Justin C. Harper, 20, of Aurora supplied the guns used in the robbery and the subsequent shooting of Rosales.

All five are now being held at the Will County jail in Joliet in lieu of $5 million bonds.

Dial said Chandler-Martin and Jackson burst into Rosales' home just before 12:30 a.m. Tuesday. Jackson pistol-whipped one man and demanded money and drugs from Rosales, Dial said.

The robbers then told everyone to lie down, but Rosales refused and Jackson shot him once in the neck, Dial said.

The robbers fled south to a waiting getaway car, police said.

Rosales left the house shortly after being wounded and drove north in his car.

"It is not known if he was trying to pursue the suspects … or if he was doing it in an attempt to seek medical attention," Dial said.

Rosales' friends had called police to report the shooting and followed behind Rosales' car. Rosales crashed into a concrete median at 87th Street and stumbled from his car for about 200 feet before collapsing in a grassy portion of the median where his friends found him dead.

Investigators recovered a .32-caliber handgun and a .22-caliber handgun. Dial said it was the .32-caliber weapon that fired the fatal bullet and also was used to beat the other man in the townhouse.

Police said Moore and Mayes were found at the victim's townhouse and were placed under arrest later that day after hours of questioning. Harper was arrested Tuesday near his home.

"No one turned themselves in," Dial said.

Police caught up with Chandler-Martin Wednesday outside a Villa Park gas station and placed him under arrest. Jackson was nabbed early Wednesday near his Villa Park home.

"It's truly phenomenal how quickly (Naperville police) turned this case around," Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow said, "and how aggressively they pursued every lead."

He said his office still was reviewing whether to seek the death penalty.

Rosales' family has scheduled funeral arrangements. Visitation will be Friday at the Beidelman-Kunsch Funeral Home, 516 S. Washington St., Naperville. A funeral service is slated for 10 a.m. Saturday at Calvary Church, 9S200 Route 59 in Naperville.

Maria Rosales said she was "disappointed" by the rampant speculation about her brother's death.

"It was not gang-related," she said. "It was not drug dealing. But I guess we're going to have to expect that."

Dial said police had been called to Rosales' townhouse on several occasions over the course of the more than two years Rosales lived there. His sister said her parents had bought the unit for her brother.

Rosales had a few run-ins with the law, with separate arrests in DuPage County for drunken driving and marijuana possession as well as some traffic offenses.

Maria Rosales said her brother had a big heart and often let people stay at the home who had nowhere else to live.

"He was the one who was always there to help," she said. "But he was the one who should have called out for help."

She praised Naperville police investigators, led by detective Jamie Griffith, who she said "always treated us with respect."

"They did a wonderful job," she said. "They treated us so well."

She also praised the two friends who chased after her brother when he fled the townhouse and were with him when he died.

"We thank the two boys who stayed with my brother," she said. "We pray that all the young men and young women that my brother helped in some way do good with their lives."