Chicago teen charged with Joliet murder taken to Will County jail

A teen charged with a murder in Joliet who was apprehended in Mexico has been transferred from a juvenile detention facility to the Will County jail after a judge denied his release from custody.

On Thursday, Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak denied the release of Nathan Melchor, 18, of Chicago, who is charged with the first-degree murder of Latrel Smith-Vaden, 20, on June 6 in the 600 block of East Benton Street in Joliet.

Emilio Aldape, 18, also has been charged with killing Smith-Vaden. Bertani-Tomczak denied Aldape’s release from jail as well.

After the judge’s decision Thursday, Melchor was taken to the Will County jail since he turned 18 that day.

Melchor has been in juvenile jail after he was arrested Aug. 30 in Tijuana, Mexico. His apprehension was part of a cooperative effort between Mexican authorities and the U.S. Marshals Service, police said.

Prosecutors alleged that Aldape and Melchor belong to the Two Six gang in Joliet. They claimed the two teens had been inside a vehicle that approached Smith-Vaden and his friend June 7.

Aldape allegedly asked Smith-Vaden, “Who you with?” and then said, “Vice Lord Killer,” prosecutors said.

Even though Smith-Vaden and his friend had put up their hands and then ran way, prosecutors alleged that Aldape fired multiple shots at them.

Smith-Vaden died after one of those shots struck him in the head, police said.

Melchor is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 18 for a hearing on prosecutors’ motion to compel him to submit evidence for DNA analysis. The next pretrial hearing for Aldape is slated for Jan. 29.