Two men have been accused of killing a 63-year-old man in Norwood Park after meeting him on a dating app. Prosecutors say they attacked him, left him for dead in his basement apartment, and then tried to use his phone and bank cards to make expensive purchases and withdraw money.
A judge, William Fahy, ordered the suspects to remain in custody, calling the crime extremely violent. The two men, Jefferson Javier Ubilla-Delgado, 29, and Geiderwuin Bello Morales, 21, are charged with murder and aggravated robbery of a person over 60. Police sources say both men are undocumented immigrants.
At the time of the crime, Bello Morales was wearing a Department of Homeland Security ankle monitor. He had been arrested earlier in January for allegedly trying to lure a 12-year-old girl to his car and was due in court later for that case.
During their court hearing, the men used an interpreter to communicate. They mostly remained silent, only speaking briefly before their lawyer and the judge stopped them.
The victim, George Levin, had arranged to meet them through the dating app Grindr. Ubilla-Delgado was arrested and later told police that Bello Morales had attacked Levin and taken his phone and cards. When police examined Levin’s iPad, they found that messages from the dating app had been deleted except for those from the last four days before the murder.
Surveillance footage showed the suspects leaving their apartment with Bello Morales carrying a roll of duct tape. Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at Levin’s home. Shortly after, Levin’s 65-year-old sister, who lived upstairs, heard loud noises from his apartment. When she went to check, she encountered Bello Morales in the stairwell. She asked if her brother was okay, and he told her that Levin would call her soon.
A little while later, she texted and called her brother, but the responses from his phone seemed unusual. Two hours later, she went back to check and found the doors locked. She forced her way in and discovered her brother partially clothed, with his hands and legs bound with duct tape and electrical cord. A sock had been stuffed in his mouth and taped shut. He was already cold to the touch, and his phone and wallet were missing.
She later identified the suspects in surveillance footage. Cameras also showed the two men at a vape shop and a gas station, attempting to use Levin’s cards and phone for purchases. Four Amazon orders, totaling over $4,000, were placed from Levin’s phone after the suspects left his home. His bank account was also locked due to repeated access attempts.
Data from Levin’s phone and additional surveillance footage helped police track the suspects back to their apartment. Bello Morales had arrived in the U.S. from Ecuador a year ago, while Ubilla-Delgado came from Venezuela about a year and a half ago. Both men are scheduled to appear in court again on Thursday.
