A Facebook posting of a video showing a deadly attack on a 62-year-old man last week led to murder charges against a North Side 16-year-old, officials said.
Malik Jones, 16, of the 2400 block of West Thorndale Avenue, was charged late Saturday with first-degree murder in the slaying of Delfino Mora, police said. Jones, charged as an adult, was ordered held without bail by Judge Adam Bourgeois Sunday during an appearance in Cook County Court and is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing Monday.
Mora, of the 6000 block of North Washtenaw Avenue in the West Rogers Park neighborhood, was found unconscious but breathing in an alley in the 6300 block of North Artesian Avenue just before 8 a.m. Tuesday. He was taken to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston in critical condition and died at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday An autopsy by Cook County medical examiner's office found that the 5-foot-7-inch Mora died from blunt head trauma in an assault.
Jones was with two other individuals who have not been charged in the incident when he confronted Mora Tuesday morning, asking him what he had in his pockets, prosecutors said. Jones then punched the victim in the jaw and he fell to the ground, hitting his head on the concrete, prosecutors said.
The attack was videotaped on the defendant?s cell phone by one of the other individuals and was later put on Jones' Facebook page, prosecutors said. Jones had given his phone to that person before confronting Mora.
"It feels to us like they're making fun of my dad because he couldn't defend himself," said Angelica Mora, 17, Delfino Mora's youngest child. "They think posting a violent video makes them tough. It's like they want to get famous."
The attack happened about 5 a.m. Tuesday. A passerby found Mora three hours later with blood streaming out of his nostrils and vomit next to his head, prosecutors said.
A witness who knows Jones saw the video and passed it on until it eventually was seen by a co-worker of the victim's son, prosecutors said. The co-worker then got in touch with the victim's son, who identified his father in the video, prosecutors said. The video was then taken to police by witnesses.
Jones, who officials say is a gang member, was arrested Saturday in southwest suburban Orland Hills with the cell phone. A search warrant was obtained and police seized the video as well, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors also said that Jones admitted to detectives that he had hit Mora.
Maria Carmen Mora, 59, said her husband of more than 40 years was a hard worker and the patriarch of the family that includes 12 children. The family started out very poor in Mexico, she said, so her husband, who had built his home in Michoacan, Mexico, came to the Chicago area to work home construction to support their children.
A work accident about 15 years ago left him without full use of his right arm, she said, so he was unable to continue working. But Valentin Mora, 38, said his father's disability didn't keep him stuck inside. He would often walk around the neighborhood and collect cans to help support the family.
"He didn't like to sit at home ? he liked to get up in the morning, grab the mail and collect cans," his son said. "He liked the extra money."
Valentin Mora said his father had six girls and six boys, ranging in age from 17 to 40 years old. The family lived in its current North Side residence for more than 15 years, he said, and his father was well known in the neighborhood.
Emmanuel Mora, 20, the family's youngest son, said his father was always smiling and making jokes, especially to make his 4-year-old grandson, Rodrigo Mora, laugh, he said.
His father taught himself to play guitar, Emmanuel Mora said, and loved to strum and sing in his three-person band. He said his father would often play his guitar at home while Rodrigo sat alongside, idolizing and mimicking his grandfather's style. Delfino Mora loved entertaining family and friends with humor and music, family said.
"For now, things are really tough, but we're trying to stay strong," Emmanuel Mora said. "My mom is now the head of the family, and she's showing us how strong she can be. We're trying to be strong for her, too, because we don't want her to get sick or depressed."
Angelica Mora said she was looking forward to having her father at her graduation from Mather High School next year.
"I think he'll still be there," Angelica Mora said. "I won't be able to see him, but he'll be there."
The family is planning to take Delfino Mora's body back to Mexico to be buried sometime this week, Emmanuel Mora said.
jjaworski@tribune.com, bdoyle@tribune.com
Twitter: @Jim_Jaworski, @tribdoyle
Source: http://feeds.chicagotribune.com/~r/chicagotribune/news/nationworld/~3/uNzP3gSKRXc/story01.htm
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