A 75-year-old man is in critical condition after someone poured flammable liquid on him and set him on fire as he slept near the Trump Tower loading dock overnight. The attack was captured on video.
Police have not publicly identified the victim, but CWBChicago has learned that he Joseph Kromelis, a well-known and beloved figure in the downtown area as the “Walking Man” and “Walking Dude.”
Surveillance footage shows a person approaching the man as he slept near the corner of Lower Wabash and Kinzie Street around 2:50 a.m. The attacker poured a liquid, possibly lighter fluid, on the victim and his blankets, then set him on fire.
Security guards put the fire out and discovered the critically injured victim who sustained burns to nearly half of his body, according to Chicago police. He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in critical condition.
The offender wore a white hoodie, white hat, black pants, and black shoes, but their race and sex was not immediately known. They were last seen heading west on Kinzie Street, police said.