CherryVale Mall murder suspect arrested in Georgia

CHERRY VALLEY, Ill. (WIFR) - After months of investigation, the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office and the Cherry Valley Police Department have arrested a suspect in connection with the shooting death of 25-year-old Marcus Mclin in April.

Throughout the investigation, the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Detective Bureau identified 25-year-old Elijah Lucena of Chicago as the suspect in this case. The Winnebago County State’s Attorney’s Office issued an arrest warrant for Lucena for First Degree Murder.

In the early morning hours of Friday, June 17, a traffic stop was conducted on a car by the Fairburn Police Department in Georgia. During the traffic stop, a man was uncooperative providing officers with false names. The man was arrested for Obstructing a Peace Officer and during the booking process, fingerprints revealed that the male passenger was actually Lucena.

Lucena is currently in Fulton County Jail awaiting extradition back to Winnebago County. “I am proud of the hard work of our dedicated team to help identify a suspect in this case,” said Cherry Valley Police Chief Roy Bethge. “This partnership has been one that we are grateful for, and I am hopeful that we can bring some justice and some closure to the victim’s family.