Andersonville On Edge With Man Throwing Urine At People Walking Their Dogs, And Alderman Says It's Been Happening For Months

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Someone has been throwing urine in people's faces in a disturbing trend of attacks happening lately in the Andersonville neighborhood.

Each attack has targeted people walking their dogs.

Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th) and the victims told CBS 2's Tara Molina that one man is behind the attacks. Police on Thursday were still trying to track down the man.

One resident told us she was walking her dog down Ashland Avenue, looking up to smile at the man walking by. It was then that she saw the cup in his hand and the look in his eyes.

"The look of rage in his face - and just the way his eyes looked," she said. "He had a large cup in his hand, and just as he was passing me, threw the contents of it into my eyes. And I yelled for help, just because my eyes were burning, and I couldn't see, and I dropped my phone."

She rushed home.

"I knew I needed to flush my eyes, and no one came to help," she said.

She at first was unsure of what was thrown at her. She said it didn't click until she asked first responders.

"They said I smelled like urine," she said.

She was seen by her eye doctor and checked out at the hospital. Thankfully, she's OK.

But she's not the only one.

"He chased me, and then he threw the urine at me and got the back of the coat," said a woman named Sue.

Sue was attacked just last week – also while walking her dogs.

She is still shaken, and is uncomfortable sharing her full name.

"He's been menacing for quite a while," Sue said.

In a bizarre twist, Sue said the man who attacked her actually then went to the police station himself to file a complaint against her – claiming she set her two dogs loose on him.

"He saw the two witnesses and I think he was trying to get ahead of it," Sue said. "He typically attacks at night."

Sue followed up with police and asked why he wasn't taken into custody.

"The police officer called me back and said, 'He told us that story, so we let him go,'" Sue said.

Sue said police let the man go without following up with the two witnesses to her attack that shared information with them. Police are not commenting on that claim.

"Police are claiming I'm the only one who filed a police report – and I know that's that true," Sue said. "I don't know why it took this long for them to take any action on it."

We have mapped out the three most recent incidents below as reported by Ald. Vasquez – at Ravenswood and Balmoral avenues, Ashland and Balmoral avenues, and Ashland and Rascher avenues.

One attack, for which the victim is unknown, happened at Ravenswood and Balmoral avenues happened at 8:26 p.m. Dec. 7. Police said the man threw a cup of urine at Sue while she was walking her dog, and it got on her face and body. This incident is classified as a simple battery.

A witness first reported the attack on Sue in the 5400 block of North Ashland Avenue happened at 2 p.m. Dec. 30. In this incident, a woman was walking two dogs when someone tried to throw an "unknown substance," but missed, police said. This incident is classified as a simple assault.

Again, these are just the most recent incidents. Ald. Vasquez said he believes the attacks started over the summer, and he is working directly with Chicago Police now.

"We have neighbors on the block with seeing-eye dogs. We don't want this to happen to anyone, but God forbid it happens to someone who needs their service animal," Vasquez said. "We want to make sure this is being handled expeditiously and that we get a resolution soon."

Vasquez said some of the attacks are going unreported.

"They've been following up with some of the folks who emailed us," Vasquez said.

Chicago Police said no one is in custody in these attacks.

Chicago Police say all of this is still under investigation.

"We want to make sure CPD is investigating, but also identify the individual to see if they're willing to accept mental health support," Vasquez said.

The alderman is asking any victim of these attacks who hasn't made a formal police report yet to do so now to help in that investigation.