Tenants Seen On Video Brutally Beating Family Who Evicted Them On Southwest Side
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Video shows a man and his mother and sister being kicked and punched over and over again – by tenants they ordered to get out.
As CBS 2's Chris Tye reported Monday, being a landlord is a tough business, and evicting a tenant is tougher still. But in this case, "tough" was replaced by "incredibly violent."
As was captured by a security camera last month in the Southwest Side's West Elsdon neighborhood, as a mother, son, and daughter were beaten up by tenants who simply did not want to leave the house they were renting.
Three weeks ago Monday night, tenants said to be late with their rent – but quick with a punch – came with a crowd.
The assailants set upon three members of the Falcon family – 56-year-old mother Maria was beaten near the street, and nearby attackers also beat her 25-year-old daughter Karina and her 28-year-old son Israel.
A different angle shows the repeated kicking and beating Israel Falcon took from the tenants who didn't want to leave.
"They actually had brass knuckles," he said. "They knocked me out with that."
Israel Falcon was left with blood vessels popped, eyes blackened, and memory loss triggered.
"I was scared. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't stop them," he said. "And it just killed me that it happened to my mom and sister."
"CT scan, MRI, so I need to go see a neurologist," added Maria Falcon.
Maria Falcon does not want to see the video.
"I was scared, because I think they killed my son," she said.
Three weeks later, officers told the family that just one of their juvenile attackers was arrested – but not charged.
"I feel helpless now, like more than I felt when I was in the fight, because I've been trying to go back for a while now and nothing's happened," Israel Falcon said.
As of Monday, the yard was quiet and the tenants next door had left. But the rattling effect of the violence out front had not worn off.
"My daughters want to sell the house – they said its better for me," Maria Falcon said.
We evicted them, you know? Nobody wants to get evicted, but if they're not paying rent, what else are we going to do?" Falcon said.
Late Monday, Chicago Police confirmed just one arrest from the attack last month, and no charges to this point.
