Waukegan restaurant stabbing: New details released after brothers charged in deadly attack

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Iziah Gonzalez, 21. (Lake County State's Attorney )

WAUKEGAN, Ill. - Two brothers were arrested this week after a stabbing incident left a 51-year-old Waukegan restaurant owner dead over the weekend. 

Iziah Gonzalez, 21, of Round Lake, and his 16-year-old brother, of Waukegan, have both been charged with first-degree murder. 

What we know:

Police responded around 11:27 p.m. on Feb. 8 to Forty One Fourteen Steaks and Seafood, located at 2120 North Green Bay Road, where they found Joshua Kirkwood, of Waukegan, with multiple stab wounds. He was later pronounced dead at an area hospital.

Gonzalez and the 16-year-old boy were both identified as suspects in the case, with Gonzalez sustaining a finger injury during the altercation.

The backstory:

Initial investigations revealed that Gonzalez and his brother were involved in an argument with Kirkwood, who was reportedly in a relationship with their mother. The altercation escalated when Gonzalez allegedly fought with Kirkwood, and his brother joined in, stabbing the victim. 

During the incident, their mother also suffered a leg laceration.

Detectives quickly identified the younger suspect, but despite efforts to locate him, he was not immediately in custody. However, the 16-year-old turned himself in to the Waukegan Police Department on Monday and was charged accordingly.

What we don't know:

Investigators are still reviewing evidence related to the items found in the mother’s vehicle, including two handguns, unknown pills, and a DVR suspected to be from the restaurant’s camera system.

What's next:

A Lake County judge granted the state's petition to detain Gonzalez on Thursday until his preliminary hearing at 9 a.m. on March 5.

The 16-year-old is also being detained. His detention hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14. 

The items found in the vehicle will be reviewed by the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office.