Suspect in 14-Year-Old Posen Boy's Slaying Nabbed in Gary, Pal Charged With Aiding Fugitive

POSEN, IL -- Two Dixmoor men were arrested after they allegedly led law enforcement in a high speed pursuit across state lines earlier this month. One of them had an active warrant for the murder of 14-year-old Posen boy on Aug. 4, Posen police said. Carl Krentkowski, 24, has been charged with first-degree murder; his 18-year-old pal, Nicholas Demonte has been charged with aggravated fleeing and eluding and aiding a fugitive.

Krentkowski had been identified as a possible suspect in the shooting death of Alex Saldana, 14, who police said was gunned down Aug. 4 in the 14600 block of Division Street in Posen. Police were responding to a shots fired call when they discovered the teen in the street with a gunshot wound to his abdomen. The teen was pronounced dead at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.

Members of the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force and South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force spotted Krentkowski and Demonte around 11:30 a.m. Aug. 9 getting into a brown Ford Mustang in Harvey. Demonte was observed allegedly driving the car. After leading the law in a high speed chase, the two were apprehended near the intersection of Gary and Cline Avenues in Gary, IN, Posen police said.

Demonte was turned over to Posen police for further investigation and is currently being held on $150,000 bail in Cook County Jail. Krentkowski, who was on parole for a six-year sentence of attempted armed robbery, is back in the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections.

A 21-year-old Midlothian man, Miguel Flores, was also charged earlier this month with the teen’s slaying. Flores is being held on $1 million bail in Cook County Jail.

Saldana was the son of a popular custodian at Most Holy Redeemer Church in Evergreen Park. Parishioners there took up a collection to assist Alex’s family with funeral costs.