91-Year-Old Chinatown Resident Beaten By Stranger Still Hospitalized
CBS (CHICAGO)--A man accused of beating a 91-year-old man in a Chinatown attack this week is scheduled to appear in court Friday, while the elderly victim remains hospitalized.
Alexander Taylor, 45, of Rogers Park, is facing multiple charges of aggravated battery stemming from an incident that happened in the 2400 block of South Wentworth Avenue around 12:10 p.m. on Sept. 18.
The random attack happened along a busy stretch of Wentworth Avenue in broad daylight on a Tuesday afternoon.
A 28-year police department veteran, Sergeant Michael Bazarek, says he saw Taylor "ranting and raving" while walking down the street on 24th and Wentworth.
Bazarek grew concerned about what was happening and slowed down just as Taylor began lashing out on the elderly victim.
"I saw him suddenly rear back and punch a very elderly asian male," Bazarek said. "At that point, the male fell completely to the ground and didn't move."
Bazarek, who was on his lunch break, started tailing Taylor in his personal vehicle. He parked his car in front of him while other officers pulled up and placed him under arrest.
The man's family told CBS 2 that he regained consciousness several hours after the attack, but he is still in the hospital at Northwestern Friday being treated for broken bones, bruising and bleeding near his brain, his family says.
His condition doesn't appear to be approving, family members told CBS 2.
The victim's son-in-law, Eddie Lau, is questioning why the attack happened. He said his father-in-law was walking back home, carrying his cane when the offender came up and hit him.
The family owns Furma Restaurant in Chinatown. The victim is known to many in the neighborhood for his daily walks up and down Wentworth.
"It's totally ridiculous. It does not make sense," said Raymond Wu, a Chinatown business owner. "I usually saw him walking down the street."