A Rogers Park man who was found not guilty of beating his mother with a bottle by reason of insanity in 2006 is charged with attacking a 70-year-old woman at a bus stop Saturday morning.
The victim was waiting for a bus in the 6900 block of North Ashland around 10 a.m. when Michael Colander, 54, walked up and told her to stop throwing rocks at his house, prosecutors said. The woman, who does not know Colander, had no idea what he was talking about.
Suddenly, Colander struck the woman in the head and began kicking her until she fell to the ground, an assistant state’s attorney said during his bond court hearing Monday. Once the woman was down, Colander continued to kick her and spilled coffee on her before he walked away, the prosecutors continued.
A witness who heard the victim screaming for help allegedly saw the woman fall to the ground and saw Colander punching and kicking her while she was down. That witness and another man called 911.
The woman was treated for a cut to her nose, swelling and bruising to her face, and injuries to both knees.
Investigators reviewed CPD surveillance camera footage and discovered the entire attack was captured on video, prosecutors said. Detectives distributed images of the attacker to local cops, and officers spotted Colander while patrolling the area Sunday.
The victim and one of the witnesses allegedly identified Colander in photo line-ups.
Prosecutors charged him with felony aggravated battery to a victim over the age of 60. He also has a pending misdemeanor battery case. In 2006, he was found not guilty by reason of insanity after being charged with striking his mother, a senior citizen, in the head with a bottle. He also received 30 months of “mental care” for beating a senior citizen in Stephenson County in 1997, prosecutors said.
After hearing from prosecutors and Colander’s public defender, Judge Charles Beach ordered him held in lieu of $150,000 bail. Colander is required to go onto electronic monitoring if he posts a 10% deposit bond, Beach said.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced in October that the city will award $8.7 million in grants to support “community-based mental health services.”