A 70-year-old woman was brutally beaten in an attack on a popular north suburban bike path Thursday morning.
Police say it started as a typical morning for the woman, who left her Zion home near 30th Street and Galilee Avenue around 6 a.m. to get some exercise on the nearby Robert McClory Bike Path.
As she was walking she noticed a suspicious man by a bridge over Wadsworth Road and quickly turned around, according to police.
The woman said that is when the man started following her on a bike. After a few blocks, as she approached 33rd Street, he punched her in the back of the head and twice in the face.
The man used so much force during the attack that the elderly woman's teeth were knocked out and she was found bloody and unconscious.
The woman did not have anything valuable on her, police say, so the attacker’s motives are unclear.
Neighborhood resident Cory Pinkowski said the path is frequently traveled by both adults and children.
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“This is what we use to get around, this is supposed to be the safest route,” Pinkowski said. “That’s the lowest you can go.”
Police are searching for a man vaguely described as 25 to 45 years old, wearing all black clothing and dark sunglasses.
Anyone who witnessed a subject matching the description on the Robert McClory Bike Path is urged to contact the Zion Police Department at (847) 872-8000.
