3 Women Attacked, Choked On Oak Park Street
OAK PARK, Ill. (CBS) -- Police in west suburban Oak Park were looking for a man who has attacked three women on the street in the past week.
The attacks have happened late at night, around midnight, near the busy intersection of Lake Street and Ridgeland Avenue.
As WBBM Newsradio 780's Lisa Fielding reports, three women were grabbed from behind and choked in separate attacks within a half mile of each other on Lake Street, all between Austin Boulevard and Oak Park Avenue.
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Local resident Karla Bullock told CBS 2's Jim Williams that she is often at Lake and Ridgeland. She uses an "L" station a block away and said she uses that station "all the time."
In light of the attacks, Bullock said she is worried.
"It's horrible, frightening, because I walk the intersection quite often. Yeah, it makes me kind of worried to walk this intersection and I walk it pretty late at night, too," Bullock said.
Oak Park police said it appears the same man walked behind three women, choked them, and demanded money. All three attacks happened in the last several days: March 30, April 2 and April 4.
John Rentas' family has owned a gas station at the intersection for 38 years without any major problems.
He said he's never been concerned about his safety, even when he's been working late at night.
"Never once. We've had the alarm go off for random reasons, never any break-ins," Rentas said.
But after the attacks, police have stepped up patrols at the intersection, located only a few blocks from Oak Park-River Forest High School.
Student Morgan Murphy often walks home and uses that intersection on the way.
"I live close to here. Sometimes I do walk home late at night, like if I can't get a ride. And I mean, it's just scary to know that it's going on here."
The women who were attacked weren't seriously injured, but as you can imagine, they were traumatized.
Anyone who has information that might help detectives should call Oak Park police at (708) 386-3800.
