Post by Vince on May 24, 2006 21:17:00 GMT -5
By Lolly Bowean
Tribune staff reporter
Published May 24, 2006, 5:40 PM CDT
A 14-year-old Riverdale boy who tried to rob an
elderly man in his home ended up in a hospital and
then in police custody after his victim fought back,
shooting him four times in the arms, legs and
buttocks, police said.
Police said the teen broke into the home of a
78-year-old ex-Marine and retired firefighter and beat
the man in the head with a pair of pruning shears. But
when the victim had the chance, he grabbed his gun and
opened fire.
"This guy chose the wrong house," Riverdale Police
Chief Pete Satriano said. "This man fought for his
life, and he won. He refused to be a victim."
Both the teen and the victim were taken to local
hospitals to be treated for their injuries. Police
would not release their names, saying the teen is a
juvenile and they typically do not reveal the names of
crime victims.
The incident started about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday in the
14100 block of South LaSalle Street, Satriano said.
The teen broke a window on the side of a house,
reached in and opened a door.
He was inside searching the dwelling when the man
heard him and walked up to him, the chief said. That's
when the teen allegedly grabbed the shears and began
beating the man.
"He beat him pretty bad," Satriano said. "Then he
dragged him around the house, yelling, 'Tell me where
the money is.'"
At some point, the teen was distracted, and the victim
grabbed his gun off a table and began firing.
"The 14-year old wrestled the gun from him and ran
with it," the chief said. "He ran out of the house and
threw the gun near a tree."
The teen ran down a nearby alley. Some men working on
a house a block away heard him moaning and offered to
help him. When they saw he had been shot, they called
police.
The boy was cited in a delinquency petition with
attempted murder, two counts of home invasion and five
counts of aggravated battery, authorities said.
He was being held this afternoon at the Juvenile
Detention Center in Chicago.
The victim also was treated and released.
"He's not in the best condition, but he's alive,"
Satriano said.
"We have no idea why his house was selected," the
chief said. "The neighbors we talked to, they were
upset that this happened to a senior."
lbowean@tribune.com
Copyright © 2006, Chicago Tribune
Tribune staff reporter
Published May 24, 2006, 5:40 PM CDT
A 14-year-old Riverdale boy who tried to rob an
elderly man in his home ended up in a hospital and
then in police custody after his victim fought back,
shooting him four times in the arms, legs and
buttocks, police said.
Police said the teen broke into the home of a
78-year-old ex-Marine and retired firefighter and beat
the man in the head with a pair of pruning shears. But
when the victim had the chance, he grabbed his gun and
opened fire.
"This guy chose the wrong house," Riverdale Police
Chief Pete Satriano said. "This man fought for his
life, and he won. He refused to be a victim."
Both the teen and the victim were taken to local
hospitals to be treated for their injuries. Police
would not release their names, saying the teen is a
juvenile and they typically do not reveal the names of
crime victims.
The incident started about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday in the
14100 block of South LaSalle Street, Satriano said.
The teen broke a window on the side of a house,
reached in and opened a door.
He was inside searching the dwelling when the man
heard him and walked up to him, the chief said. That's
when the teen allegedly grabbed the shears and began
beating the man.
"He beat him pretty bad," Satriano said. "Then he
dragged him around the house, yelling, 'Tell me where
the money is.'"
At some point, the teen was distracted, and the victim
grabbed his gun off a table and began firing.
"The 14-year old wrestled the gun from him and ran
with it," the chief said. "He ran out of the house and
threw the gun near a tree."
The teen ran down a nearby alley. Some men working on
a house a block away heard him moaning and offered to
help him. When they saw he had been shot, they called
police.
The boy was cited in a delinquency petition with
attempted murder, two counts of home invasion and five
counts of aggravated battery, authorities said.
He was being held this afternoon at the Juvenile
Detention Center in Chicago.
The victim also was treated and released.
"He's not in the best condition, but he's alive,"
Satriano said.
"We have no idea why his house was selected," the
chief said. "The neighbors we talked to, they were
upset that this happened to a senior."
lbowean@tribune.com
Copyright © 2006, Chicago Tribune