WAUKEGAN, Ill. — The owner of a steakhouse in this Lake County community was stabbed to death inside the restaurant late Saturday night during a gender reveal party and his girlfriend and two of her sons are in custody.
Police dispatched to 41 14 Forty One Fourteen Steaks and Seafood, located on the 2100 block of North Green Bay Road, at around 11:25 p.m. Saturday night, found Joshua Kirkwood with numerous stab wounds to his wrist, back and right side. The 51-year-old Waukegan man was pronounced dead at Vista East Medical Center.
Documents indicate Kirkwood owned the restaurant.
According to court documents, Kirkwood got into an argument with his girlfriend, a manager at the restaurant, during a gender reveal party that was being held in the basement of the business. Two of the woman’s sons, including 21-year-old Iziah Gonzalez, allegedly got involved.
Witnesses told police the woman’s 16-year-old son grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed Kirkwood multiple times. The woman was also stabbed in the leg.
Both brothers left the restaurant after the attack, authorities said. The 21-year-old Gonzalez later showed up at Vista East Medical Center with a stab wound, they said.
Police located the blood-covered knife in the kitchen of the restaurant, documents state. There is no evidence Kirkwood had any weapons on him at the time of the incident.
Those who knew Kirkwood said he leaves behind a 5-year-old daughter and described him as a giving and caring family man who loved his job. Kirkwood was said to have helped feed hundreds of people through a community church during the COVID pandemic.
“He’s going to be missed seriously,” said a friend who only offered his first name, Sammy. “He did his best to become a great person, somebody that kids should look up to and strive to be.”
Iziah Gonzalez appeared in court Monday morning and was ordered held in the Lake County jail on three counts of murder. His 16-year-old brother and mother are named as co-defendants in the case and are in custody but had not been officially charged as of Monday evening.
A community prayer service was held inside United Giving Hope Church in Waukegan Monday evening. Pastor Julie Contreres first met Kirkwood during the pandemic.
“I’m always going to remember him with an apron going into the back door to ask if there were more meals,” Contreres said. “We watched as he churned out in that fryer, those chicken tenders that fed 400 families on a very cold winter day during the time of COVID with his children.”
Those who knew Kirkwood said he owned several restaurants, including CYOC, and more recently opened 41 14 Forty One Fourteen Steaks and Seafood.
“Josh was 6’4″, 6’5,” every bit of 220 pounds, workaholic, attention to his children,” said Waukegan Mayor and Kirkwood’s friend Sam Cunningham. “For this incident to occur inside this facility where he sweat blood and tears, a tragic loss.”
The community gathered in prayer Monday, remembering Kirkwood as someone who was always willing to give back to those in need.
“I definitely came to pay my respects to the man because he definitely gave me a lot, too,” Sammy said. “He extended his kindness to me multiple times. Seeing nice people like that get killed hurts.”
“We’re never going to forget that about him. The community wants justice for him. No one deserves to die in that manner. Violent crimes need to be brought to justice,” Contreres added.
