2nd Teen Charged In Man's Beating Death
Updated 01/08/11 - 5:32 p.m. CHICAGO (CBS) -- A second teenager has been charged in the robbery and beating death of a man in a play lot on the West Side.
Chicago police said a 15-year-old boy was charged with murder and robbery in the death of Benjamin West, 59. The boy's name was not released due to his age.
The boy was scheduled to appear in court Saturday afternoon.
He was arrested late Thursday in west suburban Stone Park.
Earlier this week, another teenager -- Angelo Cobbins, 17, of the 1300 block of West Roosevelt Road -- also was charged with robbery and murder in West's death. He was ordered held on $500,000 bond and was booked into Cook County Jail on Thursday.
West was killed Tuesday morning in a play lot at Fosco Park, on the 1300 block of West Hastings Street, police said. Just before 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a report of a beating at the playlot.
Officers found West lying on the ground, suffering from trauma, police said.
West was pronounced dead at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County at 7:36 a.m. Tuesday, according to a medical examiner's office spokesman.
Police canvassing the scene of the homicide retrieved video from Chicago Housing Authority cameras, which ultimately led them to the offenders, police said. The footage revealed a vehicle circling the scene shortly after the incident occurred. Detectives searched the area for a vehicle matching that description, and soon located one in the vicinity, a release from police News Affairs said.
Further investigation led them to Angelo Cobbins' residence, where detectives were given permission to search the premises.
Shortly afterward, at 1:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Cobbins, 17, of 1333 W. Roosevelt Rd., was taken into custody. A Chicago Police arrest report said that Cobbins "participated in the robbery of the victim which precipitated the murder.'' It was his first arrest as an adult, police said.
Investigators learned that robbery motivated the beating and that a 15-year-old boy was an accomplice to the crime, the release said.
The 15-year-old boy, of the 1300 block of South Throop Street, was arrested late Thursday at 1722 N. Mannheim Rd. in Stone Park. The boy was scheduled to appear Saturday in Cook County Criminal Court.
The boy and Cobbins were each charged with one count of first degree murder and robbery, according to police.
Cobbins was booked into Cook County Jail Thursday after being ordered held on $500,000 bond, according to the Cook County Sheriff's website.
Cobbins is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing Jan. 25 in Violence Court, (Br. 66), according to the website.
(The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.)
