Bail was set at $3 million Saturday for a man charged with the deadly hit-and-run accident that took the life of a Cook County Corrections Officer.
Juan Bello, 57, faces charges of reckless homicide, leaving the scene of an accident involving a death, failure to yield to pedestrian, driving too fast for conditions, and driving on a revoked license.
The victim, Nikkii Bostic-Jones, 38, of Plainfield, was on her way to work when she was struck by a van Wednesday night just outside of the Cook County Jail Complex in the Little Village neighborhood.
Bello’s Illinois driver’s license was revoked in January 2010 for a DUI arrest in Iowa in Sept. 2009. He was eligible to get his license back in January 2011 but never applied, said David Druker, a spokesman for Secretary of State Jesse White. Bello also received court supervision for a 2002 DUI from LaSalle County, according to records.
On Thursday police obtained the possible make and model of the full-sized van responsible, along with a partial license plate. Using databases, they located a similar van nearby, owned by Bello who lives near the jail.
He was then taken into custody and questioned by police.
Family, friends and co-workers gathered Friday morning for a vigil outside the Cook County Jail to mourn the loss of Bostic-Jones
Bello's next court appearance is scheduled for Monday, according to the sheriff’s office.
