Human remains found in far north side home after woman reported missing, suspect in custody

CHICAGO - A report of a missing person on Monday quickly turned into a homicide investigation after police discovered human remains in a freezer at the missing person's home, authorities said.

Chicago Police Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan told reporters on Tuesday that a tenant who rents a room in a home on the 5900 block of N. Washtenaw Avenue called police Monday evening to make a missing persons report for the 55-year-old female owner of the property. The person making the report told police that they and others who lived in the home were "afraid" of another tenant and that other tenant had called a tow truck and carried a heavy plastic bag with them to the truck.

The person making the report had exchanged phone numbers with the tow truck driver and police were able to contact the driver. The tow truck driver told police that the suspect had pulled a knife and had him drive to Foster Beach, along Lake Michigan, where the suspect disposed of the heavy plastic bag in a garbage can.

Investigators first went to Foster Beach to search the garbage can, where they found blood-soaked rags/towels. Investigators then immediately returned to do a more detailed search of the home where, around 7:00 p.m., they found dismembered human remains in a freezer inside.

While the victim has not been identified and it has not been confirmed by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office, Deenihan said police believe the victim is the woman they were searching for.

The suspect was reportedly taken into custody near the intersection of W. Estes Avenue and N. Western Avenue in the Rogers Park neighborhood, though it's unclear if the suspect was still with the tow truck at the time of the arrest.

The suspect has so far refused to speak to detectives about the incident.

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