Gang shooting in South Elgin, no one hurt

An Elgin man faces the possibility of up to seven years in prison for a shooting in South Elgin in which no one was injured, officials said Wednesday.

Jose L. Melendez, 20, of the 300 block of North Crystal Street in Elgin, appeared in bond court Saturday on charges of possession of a weapon by a gang member and a felon, use of a weapon and mob action, all felonies, according to South Elgin Police. His bail was set at $250,000.

In a court appearance Thursday, Melendez was appointed a public defender.

South Elgin Police, assisted by the Elgin Police Gang Crimes Unit, responded to reports of a shooting just after 4 p.m. April 27 in the 300 block of Ann Street.

After pulling the trigger, Melendez fled in a car driven by Demetrio Aich, 23, of the 100 block of Railroad Street in Gilberts, police said.

South Elgin Sgt. Mike Doty said police believe Aich lost control of the vehicle. He was detained at the site of the one-car accident but Melendez fled again, locking himself into an apartment on the 200 block of North Douglas Avenue, according to police.

After an hour, Doty said, Melendez’s mother arrived and ended the standoff.

“She assisted us by calling him and asking him to step out,” Doty said.

Aich was charged with mob action, possession of marijuana and several traffic violations in connection to the accident. His bail was set at $50,000 Saturday.

A 14-year-old was also taken into custody for contact with a street gang member in a violation of his probation. Doty said Melendez and Aich were at the 14-year-old’s home on Ann Street before the shooting took place.

Doty said there were no reports of any injuries in connection to the shooting but police believe Melendez fired at another gang member.

“The best part was that we had a lot of witnesses, which helped us out tremendously,” Doty said.

Melendez is due in court again May 18 for a status hearing.