'Persons Of Interest' Identified In Connection With Crete Home Invasion, Murder Of Francisco Aranda
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Will County Sheriff's Department confirmed it has identified "two people of interest" in the case of a home invasion and the murder of a Crete grocery store owner, Francisco Aranda.
Authorities said they had been working for months on the case to secure charges against two men. The law enforcement agency would not say when charges would be forthcoming.
"He was a great man," said friend Elizabeth Valencia. "He's going to be always in my heart, forever."
"The case remains open and it is under review by the Will County State's Attorney's Office," said a spokesperson.
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Aranda, 63, was found in the trunk of a car after an apparent home invasion in June of 2019. Aranda's family has owned Serpermercado La Raza for decades. It's been confirmed that at least one of the suspects lived near Aranda's store.
"He was such a nice person, and I don't know why anybody would want to cause harm to someone like him," said Julie Navarez, one of Aranda's friends.
Investigators have recovered some items stolen during the home invasion.
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This is a developing story. Check back with CBS 2 for further details.