Chicago woman charged after series of baseball bat attacks on Northwest Side, bond set at $800K

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A woman has been charged in a series of bat attacks on the Northwest Side, Chicago police said Thursday.

Denise Solorzano, 26, of Chicago, was arrested Wednesday and has been charged with three counts of aggravated battery in a public place, four counts of aggravated battery use of a deadly weapon and one count of felony aggravated assault.

Her bond was set at $800,000, $100,000 for each victim she is accused of assaulting.

Prosecutors said in court that in each attack, Solorzano asked the victims either "What would you do if I hit you with this bat?" or "What would do you do if I punch you in the face?"

Police said Solorzano attacked a 27-year-old woman and a 31-year-old woman with a baseball bat at about 11:27 a.m. in the 4500-block of North Mozart Street and then minutes later attacked a 34-year-old woman with a bat in the 3000-block of West Cullorn Avenue.

Shannon Condon said she was working at home at the time of the attack on Mozart Street. She said she saw two women with a stroller when a white car pulled up and a woman got out holding baseball bat.

"And she walked toward the two women with the baby, I thought she must know them or something, or maybe she was playing a joke on them, and then I saw the woman with the bat start hitting the ladies over and over again, and the ladies were screaming," Condon said.

Condon said the woman then got back in her car and drove off. The entire incident happened in a matter of seconds.

In addition to those attacks, police said Solorzano also attacked a 19-year-old woman last Sunday in the 4000-block of West Lawrence Avenue and a 33-year-old woman in the 4200-block of North Richmond Street.

Solorzano's parents left court distraught. They said off-camera the 26-year-old has schizophrenia and said they hope she gets the help she needs.

Solorzano is due back in court on May 17.

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