Elijah Timatyos | Homicide Watch Chicago

Third man charged with murder for January home invasion that left 71-year-old Allen Levin dead in Albany Park

Jeff Mayes — Tue, 22 Mar 2016 11:15:14 -0500

By JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Ioan Lela Jr. | Chicago Police

A third Arizona man has been charged with beating 71-year-old Allen R. Levin to death during a home invasion in the Northwest Side Albany Park neighborhood in January.

Ioan Lela Jr., 34, of Phoenix, Arizona, faces one count of first-degree murder, according to Chicago Police. He was arrested Feb. 18 in Phoenix and extradited to Chicago on Sunday.

Elijah Timatyos, 23; and Michael Bembea, 24, were previously charged with first-degree murder, home invasion causing great bodily harm and burglary, authorities said.

Levin was a family friend of Bembea and had provided financial assistance to Bembea’s family in the past, prosecutors said. In the days before the murder, Bembea and Lela discussed robbing Levin because of their own money problems.

Elijah Timatyos (left) and Michael Bembea | Cook County sheriff's office

Bembea and Lela drove a white Honda Civic from Phoenix, where they were living, to Chicago, prosecutors said. During the trip, the Civic was stopped by police in Wheeler County, Texas, for a traffic violation, prosecutors said. The stop was recorded on surveillance video.

When they arrived in Chicago, Bembea and Lela stayed with a friend and once again discussed robbing Levin. Between Jan. 24 and Jan. 25, Bembea, Timatyos and Lela drove to Levin’s home in the 4800 block of North Ridgeway. Surveillance video caught the Civic circling the block, prosecutors said.

Bembea forced open the rear door of Levin’s home and pushed the victim down the stairs before letting Timatyos and Lela inside, prosecutors said. They heard Levin fall down the stairs and heard him ask why Bembea was doing this to him.

One of the men then covered Levin’s mouth and tried to suffocate him, prosecutors said. Bembea stomped on Levin’s back, severing his spine, and another man kicked him in the head.

After the attack, they tried to clean up the blood and their fingerprints, and wrapped Levin’s body in a blanket, prosecutors said.

They went through the house, taking coins, cash and jewelry, prosecutors said. They left and rented a room at a motel on Lincoln Avenue, then bought cannabis and cocaine before driving back to Phoenix the next day.

About 2 p.m. Jan. 27, police conducted a well-being check at Levin’s home and found him lying on the dining room floor, wrapped in the blanket, prosecutors said. He had a large footprint on his back.

An autopsy found he died of multiple injuries suffered in the assault and his death was ruled a homicide, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Lela was ordered held without bond in court Monday. He is next scheduled to appear in court April 4.

Bembea and Tamtyos were arrested in Phoenix on Feb. 4, authorities said. Both are being held without bond at the Cook County Jail. Bembea is next scheduled to appear in court March 28, and Timatyos is scheduled to appear March 29.

Prosecutors: Allen Levin knew the man who beat him to death and had financially aided the man's family

Jeff Mayes — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 13:36:09 -0600

Elijah Timatyos (left) and Michael Bembea | Cook County sheriff's office

By JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Two north suburban men were arrested last month in Arizona and have been charged with beating 71-year-old Allen R. Levin to death in order to rob him in his Albany Park neighborhood home.

Elijah Timatyos, 23; and Michael Bembea, 24, both face charges of of first-degree murder, home invasion causing great bodily harm and burglary in connection with the death of Levin, according to Chicago Police. A third suspect has not yet been charged.

Levin was a family friend of Bembea and had provided financial assistance to Bembea’s family in the past, prosecutors said in court Monday. In the days before the murder, Bembea and another person discussed robbing Levin because of their own money problems.

Bembea and the other person drove a white Honda Civic from Phoenix, where they were living, to Chicago, prosecutors said. During the trip, the Civic was stopped by police in Wheeler County, Texas, for a traffic violation, prosecutors said. The stop was recorded on surveillance video.

When they arrived in Chicago, Bembea and the other person stayed with a friend, and once again discussed robbing Levin. Between Jan. 24 and Jan. 25, Bembea, Timatyos and the third person drove to Levin’s home in the 4800 block of North Ridgeway. Surveillance video caught the Civic circling the block, prosecutors said.

Bembea forced open the rear door of Levin’s home and pushed the victim down the stairs before letting Timatyos and the other person inside, prosecutors said. They heard Levin fall down the stairs and heard him ask why Bembea was doing this to him.

The third person then covered Levin’s mouth and tried to suffocate him, prosecutors said. Bembea stomped on Levin’s back, severing his spine, and the other person kicked him in the head.

After the attack, they tried to clean up the blood and their fingerprints and wrapped Levin’s body in a blanket, prosecutors said.

An autopsy found he died of multiple injuries suffered in the assault and his death was ruled a homicide, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Bembea and Tamtyos were arrested in Phoenix on Feb. 4, and made “incriminating statements” about their involvement in the murder, prosecutors said. Bembea admitted breaking into Levin’s home, stomping on his back and beating him.

Both Bembea and Timatyos were ordered held without bond in court Monday. Timatyos is next scheduled to appear in court March 15. Bembea is scheduled for a hearing March 11. The third person has not been charged.

Pair arrested in Arizona and charged with fatal beating of 71-year-old Allen Levin in his Albany Park home

Jeff Mayes — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 09:17:33 -0600

Elijah Timatyos (left) and Michael Bembea | Cook County sheriff's office

By ASHLEE REZIN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Two north suburban men arrested last month in Arizona have been charged with the January beating death of 71-year-old Allen R. Levin in his Albany Park neighborhood home in January.

Elijah Timatyos, 23; and Michael Bembea, 24, both face charges of of first-degree murder, home invasion causing great bodily harm, and burglary in connection with the Jan. 27 incident, according to Chicago Police.

Timatyos and Bembea, both originally from Lincolnwood, were arrested Feb. 20 in Phoenix, Arizona, police said.

About 2 p.m. Jan. 27, officers conducting a well-being check at a home in the 4800 block of North Ridgeway found Levin lying on the ground with visible signs of trauma to the head, neck and body, authorities said at the time.

Levin, who lived in the home, was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. An autopsy found he died of multiple injuries suffered in an assault and his death was ruled a homicide.

On Monday, Timatyos and Bembea were ordered held without bond, according to the Cook County sheriff’s office. Timatyos is next scheduled to appear in court March 15, while Bembea is scheduled for a hearing March 11.