Cathedral Area Murder Defendant Gets Bail Set

JOLIET, IL — On Saturday afternoon, the Will County Coroner's Office identified Friday afternoon's Joliet homicide victim as Quentin D. Woods, 38. He was shot numerous times in the 800 block of Sherwood Place right near Raynor Avenue.

Meanwhile, Joliet Police investigators have arrested a 37-year-old man on charges of murder, attempted murder and aggravated battery in connection with the deadly shooting. The homicide happened right near the house of murder defendant Matthew Rutledge.

A Will County judge on Saturday set bail at $2.5 million for the Joliet murder defendant.

"Detectives were able to develop a description of a person of interest involved in the shooting and a direction the suspect fled in," Joliet Police announced on Facebook around 7 p.m. on Saturday. "Detectives and officers were able to locate and detain the suspect, who was later identified as Matthew Rutledge."

Jail logs listed Rutledge as residing in the 800 block of Sherwood Place. Rutledge was booked into the Will County Jail around 1:45 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 21.

"Detectives were able to establish through their investigation, witness statements and evidence collected, charges for the above offenses with the help of the Will County State's Attorney's Office," Joliet Police said, adding that the slaying and attempted murder "was an isolated incident which developed from a dispute and escalated to Rutledge shooting both victims."

When the Joliet Fire Department ambulance crews arrived on the scene of Friday's mid-afternoon shooting, they found a man dead on the sidewalk with multiple gunshot wounds. A 35-year-old woman had suffered one gunshot wound. The fire department took her by ambulance to Amita Health Saint Joseph Medical Center. She was in fair condition at the time of the transport, officials told Patch.

As of Saturday afternoon, the Joliet Police Department had not issued a press release or news bulletin about the slaying.

Witnesses told Patch that a man showed up at the shooting scene, crying and screaming, "My brother! My brother!"

Joliet Police officers approached the man and began consoling him, witnesses said.

On Friday, Joliet Patch left a message on the cell phone of Chief of Police Al Roechner as well as Deputy Chief of Investigators Darrell Gavin but neither man called back.

Joliet Police also arrested Rutledge on Oct. 20 when he was charged with aggravated assault using a deadly weapon. In that case, however, Rutledge was not put into the Will County Jail. Instead, he released by Joliet Police on a personal recognizance bond, court records show.

Rutledge was accused of pulling out a knife and threatening to use the knife against another man. The victim of that crime, however, was not Woods, court files state.

A month later, Nov. 21, Rutledge appeared in court with his lawyer and entered a not-guilty plea. The court records from that case listed Rutledge as residing in Indianapolis, not the address in Joliet on Sherwood Place.

The judge gave Rutledge permission to leave Will County to travel to Indiana to reside there and he was also ordered to stay away from the victim, court files show. Rutledge was being represented this month in his misdemeanor aggravated assault case by lawyer Neil Patel of Charles Bretz & Associates.