Black Friday brought out millions of shoppers and also a number of thieves looking for potential victims who might not be paying enough attention to what is going on around them. One such victim was walking on East Erie Street near North Wabash Avenue when she was attacked.
The suspect, Richard D. Mendoza, 31, came up behind the 44-year-old woman, choked her, grabbed her purse, pushed her to the ground and kicked her.
Fortunately three Good Samaritans came to the aid of the victim and chased the parolee, along the Magnificent Mile, eventually trapping him in the back seat of a cab, in which he was trying to make good his escape.
One of the Good Samaritans, Mike Hochhauser, 31, said he didn’t hesitate to chase the suspect, once he stepped out of his building and allegedly saw Mendoza stomping on a woman while trying to steal her purse.
“Honestly, I just started running after him, thinking, ‘I’m not going to let this guy get away with this. There’s no way I’m going to let that happen to somebody,’” Hochhauser said.
What are the risks involved in being a Good Samaritan? Click here.
