Suspects tie up man, rape woman in South Chicago home invasion, police say

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Two men forced their way into an apartment early Friday morning, tying up and beating a man and sexually assaulting a woman on Chicago's South Side.

Residents of a normally quiet building in the 2300-block of East 80th Street in the city's South Chicago neighborhood were on edge after hearing about the violent home invasion.

"I know it can happen anywhere, to anybody at any time. But to have it happen right in your home... It gives you, kind of like a, 'This can really happen,'" said Traci Clark, who lives in the area.

Investigators said around 1 a.m., as a 39-year-old man entered the building, two men walked up and forced their way inside behind him.

That's when the one of the attackers - a man between 35 and 40 years old - who was armed with a gun, hit the male victim in the head with his weapon before tying him up.

One of the suspects then sexually assaulted a 30-year-old woman, who was also in the apartment at the time. She was treated at a nearby hospital and released.

The assailants then stole money, jewelry, cellphones and a television before running away.

Tony Sims, who lives in the neighborhood, said he can't believe that someone would be so bold to commit a crime across the street from South Shore Hospital, where officers routinely patrol.

"The police is always over here by the hospital, so it's kind of unreal that this happened like this. But it just goes to show, anything can happen," Sims said.

Area South detectives are investigating. No one is in custody.