The attack happened Sunday night as the 67-year-old woman was walking the dog. Police say she was assaulted after a confrontation with three people playing basketball. Two of the three suspects are in custody.
It was about 11:30 Sunday night when the woman, and a man she was walking with, tried to quiet down the men outside of Dr. Bessie Rhodes Magnet School in Skokie. That's when the 17 and 20-year-olds are accused of shoving the woman to ground. She dropped the dog's leash and one of the guys is said to have grabbed it and began swinging it in the air, having the effect of suffocating the dog.
"She was trying to quiet them down. They had been warned previously to this incident that the park does close at 8 o'clock p.m. and they are not to be playing basketball in the park at that time. And it got out of control and out of hand and the resulted in the death of a dog and battery to a senior citizen," said Officer Tammy Jacobsen, Skokie Police.
Neighbors tell ABC7 that noise from late-night basketball games has been a problem here in the area for a few weeks. Skokie police say the incident is a reminder to citizens not to take matters into their own hands. If residents are having a problem, authorities urge them to call police.
