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Brain Injury Leads to Upgraded Charges in Attack on Bronzeville Woman, 69

By Erin Meyer | October 6, 2014 6:05am
 Hezekiah Anthony Jr. is accused of shoving an 69-year-old Bronzeville woman off a bus stop bench on 47th Street and beating her.
Hezekiah Anthony Jr. is accused of shoving an 69-year-old Bronzeville woman off a bus stop bench on 47th Street and beating her.
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Chicago police Department

COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — A man accused of pushing a 69-year-old woman off a CTA bench and beating her in July is facing upgraded charges after her condition worsened.

The 69-year-old woman was pushed off a bench at a CTA bus stop on 47th Street and brutally beaten by Hezekiah Anthony Jr. in July, prosecutors said. 

The woman, who lives across the street from the bus stop in the 500 block of East 47th Street, was waiting for the bus on July 26 when Anthony approached and shoved her off the city bench and onto the sidewalk, prosecutors said. 

As she lay on the ground, Anthony stomped on the woman's head, prosecutors said. A neighbor of the woman who lives in the same building saw the attack from his third-floor balcony, prosecutors said. 

A security guard from the building came running to help the woman, prosecutors said. The next day, the woman became unresponsive and was taken to the hospital, where doctors found bleeding on her brain, prosecutors said.

A piece of the woman's skull was removed to alleviate pressure on the brain, prosecutors said. 

Anthony initially was charged with misdemeanor battery, but when authorities learned about the severity of his victim's injuries, the charges were upgraded.

Anthony, 32, of the 4700 block of South Champlain Avenue, was arrested on a warrant last week. He is charged with aggravated battery of a victim over 60 and aggravated battery causing great bodily harm.

He has two previous convictions for unlawful use of a weapon,

An attorney representing Anthony said during a brief court hearing Thursday that he served in the military. 

A Cook County judge ordered Anthony held on $700,000 bail.

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