Broad daylight on the bustling streets of downtown Chicago became the stage for a harrowing incident Wednesday, where a 71-year-old woman was critically injured in a stabbing attack outside Union Station. According to CBS Chicago, the assault occurred at around 1:30 p.m. near the 200 block of South Canal Street in the West Loop. Identified as Arlene Rado, the victim was walking her dog when she was viciously attacked by an assailant with a sharp object.
Alan Rado, Arlene's husband, described a unsettling and sudden assault, with his wife being grabbed from behind and stabbed multiple times. "He grabbed me from behind, started stabbing me, and then ran away," he recounted his wife's harrowing experience during an interview with CBS Chicago. The suspect subsequently fled but was later apprehended by Chicago police, with the aid of a diligent Good Samaritan contributing to the swift arrest.
The incident appears to be another entry in a disturbing pattern of stabbings in the city. "The knives are very accessible," commented retired law enforcement officer Mylan Masson in a statement to CBS Chicago, emphasizing the silent and readily available nature of the weapon used in such attacks. Arlene Rado was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and, despite the critical injuries, is expected to recover.
Complementing the details provided by her husband, Arlene Rado told Alan of the terrifying realization that hit her mid-attack, believing initially she was being punched. "She said, 'somebody put their arm around me and I thought he was punching me in the back and on my neck, then I realized there was blood on the sidewalk and it was mine, and then I realized I was being stabbed," Alan recalled in an interview with ABC7 Chicago. A bystander with a suitcase intervened, using their own clothes to help stanch the bleeding.
Cellphone footage reportedly shows the moment police apprehended the alleged attacker, thanks to the intervention of residents. "It's wonderful that we have people in the city that can do something like that," Alan expressed his gratitude in an anecdote to ABC7 Chicago, lauding the civic spirit of the locals. As of the latest reports, charges against the suspect are pending while detectives continue to investigate the seemingly random attack.
