Almost 35 years ago, Ata Yousef El Ammouri allegedly fatally shot a man who walked out of his store in Chicago without paying for a can of beer. He returned to the area Friday for a graduation where he was apprehended.
Police arrested El Ammouri at Chicago O'Hare International Airport as he arrived following a flight from Jordan, the Cook County sherrif's office said in a statement Saturday. The 65-year-old was taken in on warrants alleging murder and bail jumping, the Chicago Tribune reported. Police said El Ammouri was charged with murder July 22, 1979 after allegedly killing a shoplifter. He was held on $10,000, which he posted and then never returned for court proceedings in November 1979.
Authorities said at the time that it was believed that he fled to avoid prosecution. Cook County sherrif's spokeswoman Eleni Demertzis told reporters that it was not clear where the graduation El Ammouri planned on attending was to take place, but that he had a connecting flight to Tennesse after stopping in O'Hare. Cook County sherrif Tom Dart said of the arrest that he hopes it sends a message that the passage of time will not fetter justice.
"I want to thank the State Department and the various state and federal agencies for their outstanding intelligence gathering throughout this initiative as well as our team on the ground for their patience and professionalism," Dart said.
Police took El Ammouri to bond court Saturday where he was held without bond, the Associated Press reported. It was not clear if he had an attorney. His next court date will be Monday. El Ammouri was located with the help of federal entities, including the U.S. State Department's Diplomatic Security Service, the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Embassy in Jordan.
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