A 44-year-old man has been charged with randomly attacking a woman outside the Chicago Board of Trade building, making him the latest defendant linked to a growing number of so-called “Loop Puncher” incidents in the downtown area.
Thomas Knighten is accused of hurling a bottle at a 23-year-old Lakeview woman outside the building in the 100 block of West Jackson Boulevard on February 6. The woman ducked, and the bottle instead struck a window of the historic Board of Trade building, shattering it and causing an estimated $12,800 in damage, according to prosecutors.
Knighten then allegedly grabbed a 54-year-old Lynwood woman by her backpack, threw her to the ground, and punched her repeatedly before fleeing the scene.
The entire incident was captured on video, officials said. Both victims and a security guard who works at the Board of Trade building later identified Knighten as the attacker. He was arrested recently, weeks after the February incident.
At a detention hearing, Judge Luciano Panici Jr. ordered Knighten held, citing his status as a convicted felon and what the judge described as “mental health conditions.” The judge said Knighten “chose to attack a random defenseless victim,” leading him to believe that there were no conditions short of jail that could keep the community safe from him.
Knighten faces charges of aggravated battery in a public place, felony criminal damage, and misdemeanor assault.
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