Chicago police say the victim was eating dinner with his family on Saturday at the Great China Buffet in the 2500 block of West Cermak. The boy was sexually assaulted when he went to use the bathroom. The bathroom is separated from the dining area by a large buffet area.
It happened in the middle of the dinner hour on a busy night with the victim's family sitting just a few yards away. Investigators say the suspect had two distinctive tattoos, which they hope will help identify him.
Police said the suspect is a Hispanic male with a mustache between 25 and 40 years old. He has tattoos on both his arms. One tattoo is described as a knife with two lines underneath and the word "que," and another tattoo is of an animal, possibly a dog. He was said to be wearing a black baseball cap and a blue or green long sleeve shirt with rolled up sleeves. He fled in a small, green vehicle.
An employee of the restaurant says there are surveillance cameras inside, but it's unclear what if anything the video might show. Eyewitness News left a message with the management here but haven't heard back.
Police are urging parents to accompany their children to the bathroom at all times. Customers at the family restaurant near Cermak and Western were stunned to hear about what happened.
"Every child should be supervised, but you would think that allowing your child to go to the bathroom, you would have no problem. Especially at a buffet, a family place," said restaurant customer Nicholas Menna.
If you have any information about this incident, police ask that you call the Special Investigations Unit Detectives at 312 492-3810.
