Andrew Hertzberg
A seemingly unprovoked attack left a woman unconscious on Sunday morning as she was on her way to a spin class.
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The attack happened at Aberdeen and Fulton in the West Loop. The assailant took the victim’s gym bag and stole her cell phone from her vest.
“I looked him in the eyes and said, ‘Good morning,’ and he immediately raged at me,”the 33-year-old woman told DNAinfo. “I remember being hit like a football player would hit another football player, and my head hit the ground pretty violently.”
The woman was left bleeding on the street. Neighbors came to the scene within a few minutes to help.
The woman moved to Chicago from Washington DC five years ago. She works with charities and is currently with the Noah’s Arc Foundation, a violence prevention program founded by former Chicago Bull Joakim Noah.
The victim also expressed her concerns about gentrification in the West Loop and the “undeniable tension” in the area.
“These things are happening more, and there are reasons for that. It’s not just property crimes; it’s turning into violent crimes. To me, that’s a big issue that needs to be addressed.”
Surveillance footage from the morning shows the alleged attacker walking around with a hooded sweatshirt, then running with the gym bag and fleeing into a car.
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A community alert has been issued in the 12th district. Anyone with information can call detectives at 312-747-8382.
