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player ready...The last of three men charged in the “Pick ‘Em Out and Knock ‘Em Out” slaying of a 62-year-old father of 12 has been sentenced to 33 years in prison.
Malik Jones, 21, pleaded guilty Monday to murder and robbery in the 2012 killing of Delfino Mora during the vicious street game, a video of which was posted on Facebook and circulated until a co-worker of Mora’s son saw it.
Jones was sentenced to 25 years for the murder and eight additional years for the robbery, according to prosecutors and court records.
Jones, Nicholas Ayala and Anthony Malcolm were each charged with first-degree murder and robbery in Mora’s slaying. Malcolm is serving 30 years in prison after being convicted in July 2013, and Ayala is serving 27 years after pleading guilty in February 2014.
Evidence presented in the case pointed to Jones as the one who started beating Mora while Malcolm recorded the attack on Jones’ phone.
Mora, an immigrant from Mexico who lived in West Rogers Park, had worked construction jobs after moving to the United States, but had a work accident about 17 years ago. He sometimes went through the neighborhood to collect cans to help support his family, according to his relatives.
Early on July 10, 2012, Mora was in an alley in the 6300 block of North Artestian Avenue when Ayala, Malcolm and Jones attacked him. Jones first confronted Mora, asking him what he had in his pockets, prosecutors said.
“I think I’m gonna knock out this (expletive),” Jones said, then started the video recorder on his cellphone, according to trial evidence. As Malcolm held the phone, Jones punched Mora once in the jaw. Mora fell and struck his head on concrete.
Jones took $60 from Mora’s wallet, prosecutors have said.
It was about 8 a.m., three hours or so after the attack, before a passerby found Mora, blood streaming from his nose. He died the next day.
The video of the attack was posted and shared on Facebook until a co-worker of one of Mora’s six sons saw it. The video was located by investigators on Jones’ Facebook page, and investigators tracked down the three. Jones, of the 2400 block of West Thorndale Avenue, was the first of the three charged.
When Malcolm was convicted, Cook County Criminal Court Judge Joseph Claps said it was “a sad travesty that Mr. Delfino Mora died because of the actions of people … who were apparently thinking what they were doing was a game.”
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