BY RUMMANA HUSSAIN
Chicago Sun-Times
Joey Jones was ordered held without bond Wednesday on charges he shot a cashier to death in Chicago Lawn and wounded another man in Uptown Tuesday morning.
Jones, 31, is charged with one count each of first-degree murder and attempted murder, according to a statement from Chicago Police.
About 6:10 a.m. Tuesday, Jones shot 57-year-old Omar Maslat, as Maslat tried to lock the front gate to the front door of the Super Sale Food Mart early Tuesday morning, Cook County prosecutors said at a bond hearing Wednesday.
Maslat was taking orders from a store clerk who Jones had thrown change at after requesting, then receiving a display T-shirt in the store, Assistant State’s Attorney Robert Mack said.
When Jones went to another aisle and grabbed a Gatorade, the clerk told Maslat to lock Jones inside the business in the 2400 block of West 63rd Street, Mack said.
That’s when Jones shot Maslat in the chest with a revolver and fled in a white Ford Crown Victoria, Mack said.
Maslat, of the 7200 block of West 87th Street in Bridgeview, suffered a gunshot wound to the chest, authorities said. He was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead at 7:05 a.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Little more than three hours after Maslat was shot, Jones called his father asking for money and agreed to meet with him at a currency exchange in Uptown, Mack said.
Jones’ father was also meeting a 50-year-old co-worker at the business, in the 4500 block of North Broadway, because he also needed to give him cash, Mack said.
Jones’ father introduced his son to his friend but as the friend walked toward his car, Jones ran up from behind and shot the man in the neck.
Jones then allegedly fled in his Crown Victoria with his girlfriend and infant twins in the car.
He was captured on surveillance cameras in both shootings and his girlfriend saw him put the gun under the car seat after he fired and wounded the second victim, Mack said.
Jones was arrested Tuesday night at his apartment in the 3000 block of West Armitage Avenue.
There, officers recovered a Smith & Wesson, a .38 caliber, six-shot revolver loaded with three live rounds and two expended casings, Mack said.
Prosecutors, during Jones’ first court appearance, didn’t say what the motive was for the shootings.
Jones’ criminal record includes three felony drug convictions.
He will next appear in court April 21 for a preliminary hearing, according to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office.