Man, 71, Shot While Watering Lawn

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A man who was watering a lawn was shot during an attempted robbery Tuesday in the Marquette Park neighborhood.

Shortly after noon, Fred LaGuardia, 71, was tending to the lawn in a vacant lot next door to his home in the 7100 block of South California. He was approached by two males on bikes, who demanded the victim's wallet, police said.

When the man refused, one of the males shot him, police said.

"All he was doing was watering [the] lawn," said the victim's brother in law, Bob Castandda. "People have no regards for life."

Surveillance video from a neighbor's house showed the whole attack from start to finish. After riding up on a bicycle, the gunman demanded LaGuardia's wallet, then tried to forcibly take it from the victim's pocket, prompting a struggle.

The gunman shot LaGuardia in the stomach, and took his wallet as LaGuardia laid on the grass, and fled the scene on the bike.

"Early in the morning, in the daytime in the broad open daylight," said block president Lois Walker. "Somebody comes and shoots him. I heard the gunshots. But I thought it was a firecracker."

The two robbers fled north on California.

LaGuardia was able to get up and walk to a neighbor's house for help. He was taken to Holy Cross Hospital and was later transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was in fair condition after undergoing surgery Tuesday afternoon.

No one was in custody. Area Central detectives were investigating.

In:
• Marquette Park