Elderly woman critically injured in Irving Park home invasion

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A 78-year-old woman is in critical condition after being beaten during a home invasion in Irving Park, Chicago police said.

Police said the home invasion took place in the 4100-block of North Avers at approximately 1:13 p.m. Friday. The woman suffered numerous blows to the head and face and was taken to Saint Francis Hospital, police said.

Ivonne Morales rushed to the hospital to be at her badly beaten mother's side.

"She has a fractured nose, bleeding in the brain. They just put stitches around her eye," Morales said.

She said her mother was attacked in her ground floor apartment at Avers and Elston. She asked that her mother not be identified by name.

"Her clothes are soaked in blood, her hands are soaked in blood, her hair right now," Morales said. "I just held her hand and said, 'Mom, we're here, it's going to be ok.'"

A neighbor called 911 and saw the intruder.

"I saw somebody who looks like he doesn't belong in our apartment, I've never seen him before," the neighbor, who did not want to be identified, said.

The neighbor believes the man came to the victim's back door asking if there was an apartment for rent.

"She is 78 years old, who is she going to harm? She can't defend herself," Morales said.

The victim's daughters said the robber was able to get away with their mother's jewelry. Police describing the suspect as a tall, thin Hispanic male, wearing wire-framed glasses and either a red hood or baseball cap. He was wearing jeans at the time of the robbery and also has a goatee.