CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — An attack on a husband and wife in Streeterville has sparked calls from the local alderman for a strict, new curfew that would impact unaccompanied young people downtown.
Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) said a large group of teens assaulted the couple and seriously injured them on Friday night near McClurg Court and Grand Avenue.
Chicago police said the man, 40, was hit several times in the head by a 14-year-old boy while the woman had her hair pulled out by a 17-year-old girl. In an interview with Channel 32, the woman said the teens also kicked her stomach. She was two weeks pregnant and said she found out after the attack that she lost the baby.
Hopkins wants an 8 p.m. curfew for any minors who are unaccompanied by adults in Streeterville or the Central Business District downtown.
“If they’re coming to Streeterville to hurt people, to rob people, to attack people and to cause damage, we have a real problem with that,” he said. “We’re going to respond accordingly, and we’re going to make arrests.”
He says groups of teens there pose an ongoing threat.
“It wasn’t just this incident where this innocent couple was attacked in what now appears to be just a random attack, but it’s the large crowds of teenagers,” he said. “We’ve seen an increase in large crowds causing chaos and mayhem, blocking traffic, and the summer is just beginning.”
The 14-year-old boy and a 17-year-old girl were charged with misdemeanor battery in connection with the attack, but Hopkins has asked prosecutors to charge the teens with felonies.
The Cook County State's Attorney's Office said the misdemeanor charges were filed by police.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
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