Prayer vigil held for 2 siblings wounded in attack that killed mother

Two boys who were critically wounded in a series of stabbings that killed their mother last week on the South Side are recovering in the hospital.

The boys, 8 and 11, were admitted to Comer Children’s Hospital after being found at separate locations with stab wounds Thursday in Greater Grand Crossing. Their mother, 33-year-old Teone Jones, was killed in the attacks.

One of the boys is on a breathing tube, and the other is awake but still recovering from his wounds, said Darlene Tribue, president of the Park Manor Neighbors Community Council, at a prayer vigil outside the family’s home Sunday. Both boys have undergone multiple surgeries, she said.

The boys are “doing pretty good for now,” Tribue said. “But they still need our prayers, healing still has to take place, and it’s going to be a long recovery for them.”

Jones was stabbed in the back and abdomen about 7 p.m. Thursday in the 7100 block of South Eberhart Avenue, Chicago police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. She was rushed to University of Chicago Medical Center, where she died.

Her 8-year-old son was reported missing after he was abducted in the same block where Jones was killed, Illinois State Police said. An Amber Alert was issued 40 minutes after Jones was killed. The alert was canceled early Friday after the boy was found in the 8200 block of South Damen Avenue.

The 11-year-old was found by police in the 200 block of West 66th Street.

“These kids are going to be traumatized for the rest of their natural life,” said Eli Washington, a member of Park Manor Christian Church, which co-organized Sunday’s vigil. “So we want to support this family. We want to support this community. They are motherless and fatherless kids now, so that’s a lot to deal with.”

The boys had already lost their father to a heart attack, Malik Wilson, one of Jones’ brothers, previously told the Sun-Times.

A suspect was arrested Friday in Indiana, police said. Washington said the suspect in custody was believed to be Jones’ ex-boyfriend.

Washington said justice would mean the person who committed the stabbings serves “a very long sentence.”

“One of the things we have to do as a community is we have to show up to every court proceeding and every court hearing to let the judge know that we ain’t playing,” Washington said. “We want him held accountable for his actions.”

After saying prayers at Sunday’s vigil, community members, local Ald. William Hall (6th) and Grand Crossing District police officers canvassed the area, passing out informational cards with resources for anyone experiencing domestic violence.

Because the community members believed the attacker was Jones’ ex-boyfriend, they wanted to ensure anyone experiencing domestic violence knows that help is available, Hall said.

Hall said he’s also added discussion of the stabbings and how to protect people from domestic violence to his ward’s upcoming community meeting, set for noon-2 p.m. Monday at Hamilton Park, 513 W. 72nd St.

Hall is coordinating with the mayor’s office and volunteers throughout the community to make sure that all people have resources available to them if they’re experiencing domestic violence.

“We want to not only be on the preventative side of this issue, we don’t want to be on the reactionary one,” Hall said. “So we will go door by door, letting every young woman, every young girl in this ward know that you should and you can be safe in this ward.”