The life of Melanie Yates, 23, of Zion, will be celebrated Saturday. - Original Credit: News-Sun (Calderon family / HANDOUT)

       The Zion youth accused of killing his neighbor, a young mother, with a stray bullet has been arrested following a reported shooting in Waukegan, authorities said Wednesday.

       The 16-year-old, who the News-Sun is not identifying because of his age, has been charged as an adult in the October shooting death of Melanie Yates, 23.

       Waukegan police arrested the teen along with two other juveniles after responding Tuesday at around 4 p.m. to the area of Jackson Boulevard and Belvidere Road after receiving reports of gunfire in that area, according to Zion police.

       When police arrived, the three youths fled but were quickly apprehended, Zion police said, and officers recovered three handguns.

       The youth charged in Yates killing was brought to the juvenile facility in Vernon Hills.

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       Zion police had issued a warrant for the youth on Oct. 21, four days after the stray bullet struck Yates inside her home in the 2800 block of Enoch Avenue.

       Authorities say the youth, who lived on the same block as Yates and her family, came out of his residence firing a rifle at someone on the street at around 9 p.m. on Oct. 17. Yates, police said, was not the intended target of the gunfire, but was hit by a stray bullet.

       Yates, who was a registered nurse, was reading a Bible story to her 7-month-old daughter when she was shot, according to her family. She and her husband were also parents to a 2-year-old daughter.

       Authorities charged the youth with first-degree murder. Last week, police asked the public for help in locating the youth, and said they believed he was attempting to elude arrest.

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