A 94 year-old female U.S. Navy World War II veteran was nearly beaten to death while on her way to the dentist.
Police in Chicago have charged Olajuwon Claiborne, 26, with two counts of aggravated battery and two counts of robbery on Sunday after beating up World War II veteran Josephine Regnier.
Regnier had been waiting for one of her daughters to pick her up and take her to the dentist shortly before noon on Wednesday last week, but after getting too cold, she walked back inside her building to warm up.
Police said that is when Clairborne followed her into the building and shoved her into the hallway. He then hit her multiple times and stole her purse before fleeing.
Regnier suffered broken ribs, a black eye and a concussion.
Regnier was then rushed to MacNeal Hospital, where police said her condition was stable. She was later released from the hospital on Sunday and is slowly recovering.
Clairborne was arrested on Friday after surveillance video showed images of him crashing a stolen SUV behind Villa Rosa Pizza and running down an alley carrying Regnier’s purse.
Police then used the surveillance footage to track down Clairborne.
Police said that Clairborne was wanted for two similar robberies from last summer, including an attack on a 65 year-old woman.
“She’s 94 years old. He didn’t have to beat her up. He could have just taken her purse and left. I don’t know what compelled him to do that. He’s a coward,” Regnier’s daughter, Judy Dusk, told WLS.
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