Man charged in attack of 91-year-old in Chinatown

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago police have charged a 45-year-old Chicago man with attacking a 91-year-old man in the city's Chinatown neighborhood Tuesday.

Police charged Alexander Taylor with three felony counts related to the attack: one count of aggravated battery of a victim over the age of 50, one count of aggravated battery causing great bodily harm and one count of aggravated battery in a public place.

Taylor was arrested Tuesday after witnesses flagged down a Cook County Sheriff's deputy as well as an off-duty CPD sergeant who were in the area.

Sergeant Michael Bazarek says he witnessed the attack and arrested Taylor in Chinatown on Tuesday, moments after police say he sucker-punched 91-year-old Yen Jit Wong who was walking with a cane. He happened to be in Chinatown and says, before and after the attack, the suspect was acting strangely.

"This was absolutely unprovoked. There was no... as soon as he got close, he struck the blow," said Chicago police Sgt. Michael Bazarek.

"Disbelief that someone would do something like this. Horrified that someone would treat our grandfather this way," said one of Wong's grandsons, Jacky Lau.

Sergeant Bazarek says he was driving in Chinatown. He was there for a nearby work-related seminar when he spotted Taylor acting erratically.

"Going from gibberish to unintelligible comments, talking at the sky, talking at the sidewalk, and frightening people," the sergeant said.

He says he continued observing Taylor and moments later saw him land that punch.

As witnesses came to Wong's aid, Bazarek followed Taylor and took him into custody.

"Still ranting, still making wild gestures, and pretty much speaking gibberish," he said.

Relatives say Wong hit his head on the ground and now has bleeding around his brain as well as a broken collarbone.

"It's shocking, but it's not surprising. I've been doing this a long time, and I've seen this before," Sgt. Bazarek said.

Yen Jit Wong remains in intensive care at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. His relatives say his condition has not improved. In fact, he's gotten weaker, and he's now on a feeding tube.

"My grandfather wasn't a threat to anybody in the community. He's 91. He enjoyed taking walks in the community," said grandson Jeremi Yu.

"I don't think anybody like this should be in our community. I don't think anybody should cause this act of violence in our area, and I think they should be prosecuted to the fullest," said grandson Jacky Lau.

Relatives say Wong had just left a restaurant after having lunch with his son and had decided to walk home alone when he was attacked. He took daily walks in Chinatown.