COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — A 60-year-old suburban man walking down State Street across from Macy's was slugged in the face by a panhandler fighting with a group of other panhandlers over turf, prosecutors said Wednesday.
The victim, a resident of Forest Park, suffered several fractures in his face when he was hit by the panhandler, who may have been holding a lock when he attacked, prosecutors said.
The panhandler, Martel Butler, 26, also kicked the victim when he was down, prosecutors said. The suburban man had to be hospitalized following the Nov. 12 beating.
Assistant State's Attorney Erin Antonietti, during a bond hearing Wednesday, said Butler was fighting with others over "who had the rights to a particular corner" in the 100 block of North State when the Forest Park man walked by and got punched for no apparent reason.
Butler showed up at the Cook County Criminal Courthouse Tuesday on an unrelated battery charge. That charge was dismissed, but sheriff's deputies collared him as he left the courthouse on the State Street charges.
Butler, of the 1400 block of South Canal Street, was ordered held on $30,000 bond Wednesday.
The victim declined to comment on the attack.