Man wanted for fatal shooting in Harvey found in Virginia

A man wanted for a fatal shooting in south suburban Harvey in June was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service in Virginia on Wednesday.

Antowaun Mathis, 31, was arrested at a residence in Hampton, Virginia, the marshals service said. The arrest occurred without incident. Mathis was held in the Hampton City Jail awaiting extradition.

On June 14, Mathis and William Sandifer, 25, were attending a family gathering in the 14800 block of Turlington Avenue in Harvey, according to Sean Howard, a spokesman for the Harvey Police Department. During the party, Sandifer left the residence and was confronted by a masked man who appeared from bushes in the rear of the house.

Sandifer, of the 16400 block of South Ashland, was shot in the back and pronounced dead at 10:14 p.m. that night at Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

An investigation by Harvey police pointed to Mathis as the shooter, Howard said. Mathis and Sandifer had gotten into altercation in the weeks leading up to the shooting and “had exchanged words” at the family gathering. Shortly after, Mathis left the gathering through the backyard and a short time later Sandifer followed to the rear of the residence where police allege Mathis waited and shot him.

Mathis was living in a motel in South Holland around the time of the shooting and was essentially homeless, Howard said. The two men were believed to be related through marriage.

Harvey police hope to return Mathis to Chicago soon to face charges and thanked the marshals service for their assistance, Howard said.

The violent crime rate for Harvey is at its lowest level in 18 years, Howard added. The fatal shooting of Sandifer was the second homicide in Harvey in 2016.