Chicago, Illinois – Two men facing murder charges appeared in court on Saturday following a gruesome homicide investigation on the city’s far Northwest Side.
The suspects, identified as 29-year-old Jefferson Ubilla-Delgado and 21-year-old Geiderwuin Bello Morales, are described as migrants by sources familiar with the case.
According to Chicago police, the men were taken into custody on Thursday in connection to the brutal slaying of George Levin, a Chicago businessman and interior designer.
During a detention hearing, Cook County Judge Will Fahy emphasized the horrific nature of the crime, stating that the victim had been bound, gagged, and beaten to death. The judge ordered both suspects to be detained on first-degree murder and felony robbery charges.
The crime took place on Sunday at a home on Talcott Avenue, where Levin was found tied up in a basement bedroom by his sister. Levin, who lived in the basement apartment, was discovered partially clothed and bound with duct tape and electrical cords, ultimately succumbing to multiple injuries.
Sources revealed that the suspects targeted Levin through a social media dating app, orchestrating an ambush during their encounter with him. Following the attack, in which Levin was left for dead, the suspects allegedly stole his cellphone and wallet, making purchases amounting to nearly $4,100.
In court, defense attorneys argued that the incident was an accident, claiming uncertainty regarding what transpired in the room and the nature of the interactions.
Further investigation by the ABC7 I-Team uncovered that Morales had been arrested earlier in the month on a charge of “simple assault” after allegedly attempting to lure a 13-year-old girl into his car. Ubilla-Delgado was found to have been wearing a Department of Homeland Security GPS electronic monitoring device at the time of the crime.
Both suspects have been residing in the Chicago area for over a year and are scheduled to appear in court again on Thursday for further proceedings. Additional details about the case were not immediately available.