COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — A mysterious good Samaritan came to the aid of a woman getting mugged at an Andersonville bus stop, cold-cocking the attacker with a Thermos and leaving him on the ground for police to clean up, authorities said.
But authorities don't know who swung the Thermos: The good Samaritan took off before officers arrived, leaving a bus stop full of witnesses to tell the tale.
It started Monday afternoon, with the woman waiting for a bus in the 5200 block of North Clark Street, Assistant State's Attorney Lorraine Scaduto said during a bond hearing Tuesday.
The woman spotted a man — later identified as Rolalio Lomeli, 61 — holding a knife, prosecutors said.
She moved away from him, but he followed her and grabbed her from behind. As the woman struggled to get away, the Thermos-wielding good Samaritan stepped in and knocked Lomeli in the head, prosecutors said. He fell to the ground and was still lying there when police arrived, court records show.
Several witnesses who stuck around told police what happened, but the good Samaritan was gone, according to a police report.
Police recovered a broken knife with a hook on one end, prosecutors said.
Lomeli, of the 2600 block of North Shore Avenue, now faces charges of armed robbery with a deadly weapon.
According to his public defender, Lomeli has worked as a valet parker for the last 20 years.
Cook County Judge Donald Panarese Jr. on Tuesday said Lomeli could be released on his own recognizance as long as he qualifies for the Cook County Sheriff's Office's electronic-monitoring program. If not, Lomeli will be responsible for $100,000 bail.
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