‘Who would do that to an 82-year-old woman’: Sexual assault during South Side home invasion sparks outrage, concern

CHICAGO (WGN) — South Side residents remain on edge following a Chicago police alert Thursday notifying residents about the sexual assault of an 82-year-old woman, which the department says occurred inside her home.

Investigators say someone broke into her apartment Wednesday evening and then sexually assaulted her.

“Who would do that to an 82-year-old woman?” one woman told WGN News. “That’s horrible. That’s sad.”

Another woman added: “I’ve been living in this area for over 50-something years and I just can’t imagine who would do such a thing. It’s terrible.”

According to police, the assault occurred just before 7 p.m. Wednesday on the 1600 block of West 82nd Street in the city’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood. Police say the unknown man entered the woman’s home through a window and struck her in the face, causing her to fall to the ground prior to the assault.

Afterward, he fled the scene and remains at large, police added.

“It’s crazy to me, actually. It just doesn’t make sense,” said Auburn Gresham resident Deza-Ra Russell. “How could anybody let that happen, and how was he able to get into her house? There’s just so many questions that I have.”

The woman was transported to Little Company of Mary hospital for observation and is listed in good condition. As of 6 p.m.. Thursday, Chicago police have not yet offered a description of the suspect.

“You can’t really walk around how you want to,” Russell said. “You can’t really do the things you want to or have your kids be around outside if you want to. It’s just not that type of neighborhood.”

Auburn Gresham resident Stephen Dipenedettl told WGN News that the area is unsafe.

“Everybody knows that 82nd and Ashland, 82nd and Marshville, don’t walk here at night,” Dipenedettl said.

Other locals who spoke with WGN News say while they aren’t shocked to learn about certain crimes in the area, the woman’s assault is shocking enough to take extra precautions.

“I will definitely keep my eyes open for strange activity,” said Auburn Gresham resident Christina Callon. “If I see something strange, I will report it to the police.”