No Bond For Teen Charged In 'L' Stop Death
Updated 08/11/11 - 2:34 p.m.
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Bond was denied Thursday to a 17-year-old charged with killing a woman in March by pushing her down a flight of stairs at a CTA 'L' stop, after he had stolen another person's iPhone.
Prince Watson appeared for a bond hearing at noon Thursday, charged with first-degree murder in the death of Sally Katona-King, 68. A Cook County judge denied bond for Watson, who was previously convicted of another iPhone robbery.
As WBBM Newsradio's Steve Miller reports, Watson is already serving time in a juvenile detention facility for stealing an iPhone in a separate incident, and now he is accused of robbing one woman of her iPhone at the Fullerton 'L' stop on March 28, then running away and pushing Katona-King down the stairs as he left.
Katona-King was pronounced dead the following day at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center.
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At Watson's bond hearing on Thursday, prosecutors said he stole an iPhone from a woman at the Fullerton station and then raced to the stairs to get away.
Assistant Cook County State's Attorney Toni Giancola said Watson bumped into "multiple people" as he fled - and when he got to the stairwell, "the defendant stated that he bumped into two ladies because they were in his way as he was trying to flee."
Giancola said one of the women that Watson bumped into was Sally Katona-King, who fell to her death.
Katona-King's daughter, Eileen Katona, said she is glad Watson is charged.
"He needs to suffer some consequences, and now he's going to pay the consequences for his actions," Eileen Katona said.
Police say Watson also stole an iPhone at the Sedgwick Brown Line stop in April. He stole another cell phone on the CTA Red Line at Clark and Division in May and was caught, and has been serving time for that, police said.
Belmont Area detectives say witnesses, evidence at the scene and video evidence tie Watson to the murder of Katona-King.
And they say they know they have the right person.
"Absolutely," said Detective John Korolis. "We are very confident."
Detectives say Watson was apparently selling the iPhones he stole for cash.
Detective Michele Wood says they are big business.
"We heard on the streets the iPhones are worth at least $300," she said.
Katona-King, 68, worked at First Lutheran Church in Logan Square, where she cooked for the homeless and was the church treasurer.
The Fullerton 'L' stop, which serves the Brown, Red and Purple lines is the primary stop for the busy Lincoln Park neighborhood and DePaul University campus. Police have been passing out fliers at the station since the time of the deadly incident.
