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Three more waive hearings in pizza deliverer murder

All four will go directly to trial in the slaying of Ronald Anderson Jr. And, an update on the Kevin Kless slaying.

The remaining three people charged in the Jan. 3 robbery-slaying of pizza deliverer Ronald Anderson Jr. in Southwest Philadelphia waived their rights to a preliminary hearing Wednesday before a Philadelphia Municipal Court.

The decisions by Rashad Cheeseboro, 23; Michael Covington, 21; and Keyona Jones, 18, means the charges against them will proceed directly to trial. The three made the same decision that the fourth defendant, Xylaca Devlin, 18, made on Jan. 25.

In outlining the waiver decisions to Municipal Court Judge Teresa Carr Deni, Assistant District Attorney Edward Cameron said each had made statements to homicide detectives describing their involvement in what police described as a botched robbery.

Devlin, Cheeseboro and Covington are from Southwest Philadelphia – the first two from Eastwick and Covington from Elmwood. Jones is from Magnolia in Camden County.

Anderson, 29, a driver working at Hot Spot Pizza in Southwest Philadelphia for three months, lived with his wife and young daughter in Chester.

Police said Anderson got the order shortly before closing to deliver a pizza to the 2500 block of Massey Street in Elmwood.

Arriving shortly after 10 p.m., Anderson discovered he was at a vacant house. Police said Devlin and Jones were waiting on the street but as soon as Anderson exited his car two men – allegedly Cheeseboro and Covington – ran up and shot him.

The four robbers took the food – but no money – and ran, police said. Police said tips from community members led to the four arrests.

Case update: A preliminary hearing has been set for April 4 in Philadelphia Municipal Court for the three men charged in the Jan. 14 beating death of Temple University graduate Kevin Kless.

Kless, 23, accompanied by his girlfriend and another woman, was assaulted about 2:30 a.m. as they tried to hail a cab at Fourth and Chestnut Streets, a block from Independence Hall in the city's historic district.

Three men, who apparently believed Kless was yelling at them, got out of their car and Kless was beaten to death in the altercation that followed.

Charged with murder and related counts are Steven Ferguson, 20, of Fox Chase; Kenneth Santiago, 19, of Juniata Park; and Felix Carrillo, 23, of Olney.