Good Samaritans armed with an aluminum baseball bat chased down and detained a man accused of attacking and attempting to sexually assault a woman who was jogging on the 606 Trail in Logan Square on Sunday morning, prosecutors said.
A 32-year-old woman and her husband had been jogging together, but the husband ran ahead, and the woman continued jogging alone near the west entrance of the trail around 7 a.m., Assistant State’s Attorney Karen Crothers said during a detention hearing Tuesday.
That’s when Colon, whom the woman did not know, allegedly came up behind her, wrapped his arm around her neck, and placed her in a chokehold. She tried to pull away, but Colon overpowered her, threw her to the ground, and kept choking her while grabbing the woman’s breasts as she struggled beneath him, Crothers said. The woman briefly broke free and tried to get to the opposite side of the trail, but Colon allegedly caught her again, forced her to the ground, climbed on top of her, and pinned her by her neck and collarbone. While holding her down, he again grabbed her breasts and rubbed her genital area over her clothing, according to prosecutors.
The victim screamed for help in both English and Spanish throughout the attack while desperately fighting back. Prosecutors said she eventually pushed Colon off, kicked him, and then chased after him, punching and kicking him as he staggered away from the trail before collapsing partway down the street.
The woman’s screams awakened a married couple who live across the street from the trail. The husband ran outside barefoot after his wife alerted him that someone needed help. He told Colon he was calling 911 while the suspect continued walking away.
The man’s wife then came outside carrying an aluminum baseball bat and stayed with the victim while her husband took the bat and followed Colon. Another good Samaritan joined him, and together they caught up with Colon and detained him until Chicago police officers arrived, Crothers said. Officers allegedly recovered three condoms and a bottle of lubricant from Colon when he was taken into custody.
The victim was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where she was treated for bruising to her neck, knee, wrist, forearm, and ankle, along with swelling to one hand and a twisted ankle.
After his arrest, Colon initially claimed he and the victim had simply “bumped into” one another. Prosecutors said he later admitted grabbing the woman while she was tying her shoes and pulling her toward him because he wanted to touch her buttocks.
According to Crothers, Colon told officers he gets “the urge” to touch women’s buttocks and asked, “Why are women showing it if they are not going to give it?” She said Colon also told officers that “weird things” happen to him and that he sometimes dreams and cannot tell whether the thoughts in his head are real.
Judge Deidre Dyer ordered Colon detained pending trial on charges of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and attempted aggravated criminal sexual assault.
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