South Loop woman assaulted, had package stolen in same week
CHICAGO -- The South Loop's Dearborn Park area is supposed to be one of Chicago's safest neighborhoods, but one woman was victimized twice in a four-day period last week.
Young Ri was targeted by a package thief. Then, three days later she was assaulted.
The package thief was seen in a surveillance video casually walking up to her home, opening one of her packages and then walking away with its contents.
Her more serious incident happened on a walking path just off South State Street and West Roosevelt Road that leads into Dearborn Park.
"This guy grabbed me from behind and touched me all over. At first, I couldn't understand what was going on," she said from her office on Tuesday. "I couldn't move. I turned around to see if he had a gun or knife so I started screaming."
The path is heavily trafficked by residents at all times which is why she felt safe using it.
Making matters even worse, Ri said she called police to file the report, investigators told her they'd already fielded several similar calls that evening, describing the same man.
"No crime is acceptable to us," Tina Feldstein, of the Prairie District Neighborhood Alliance.
Hoping to curb what appears to be an increase in neighborhood crime, South Loop residents recently created a safety association that has discussed several options for potential solutions.
"Is it necessary to have a private security company to drive around the south loop, what would that look like, who would contribute? What would it cover?" Feldstein asked.
The assault offender is described as a man who is about 30-years-old, with black, curly hair and a beard. He is between 5-feet-7-inches and 5-feet-10-inches tall, weighing 160-200 pounds. He wore a black jacket, dark pants and sunglasses.
