"I'm Scared"
"You Should Be"
I'll bet this fellow will be very popular in prison.
Zachary Goldak, 19, of the 3200 block of North Broadway in Chicago
A witness who chased down the suspect and held him for police said he was glad he stopped "a pretty cowardly thing."
At about 5 p.m. on March 3, Goldak came up behind the 78-year-old victim on the sidewalk near his home and grabbed her purse, aCook County Asst. State
As he fled, the witness yelled for someone to call the police and chased Goldak to the entrance of his apartment building, recovered the purse and held Goldak until police arrived, Antonietti said.
"When officers arrived, the defendant told them that he was having a bad day and [expletive] that woman, she could have a bad day, too," she said.
The witness who chased the suspect, criminal defense attorney Jake Howard, had just parked his car at a meter on Broadway, south ofMelrose Street
At first, he thought the two people just stumbled and fell together. But then he realized there was no ice on the sidewalk, he said.
"When he hopped up and picked up the bag I knew something was wrong," Howard said in a telephone interview Wednesday. "If someone grabs a bag and starts running, they're up to no good as far as I'm concerned."
Another man ran to the woman's side, so Howard quickly decided to try to apprehend the alleged suspect, he said.
Howard, who plays rugby in his spare time, said he knew he could catch the guy.
At first the suspect was just walking in a fast pace, Howard said. "I told him, you better run (expletive)."
The suspect took off to a nearby apartment building and began to fish for his keys, Howard said.
"It seems like a dumb idea to snatch a purse in front of your apartment," Howard said.
Howard said he couldn't allow the suspect to get inside or he would lose him, so he jumped in the doorway and closed the door on the suspect's left hand. The suspect didn't put up much resistance and only said, " 'Dude, let my hand out of the door,' " Howard said. "I said no."
Another person on the street called police while Howard held the man. Three other "big guys" came to Howard's aid to wait for the police so the suspect wouldn't try to get away, he said.
Howard had no idea at first that the victim was an elderly woman. This angered him, he said. But what angered him even more was the suspect's excuse for committing the crime, he said.
"It's a pretty cowardly thing to snatch someone's purse anyway," Howard said. "But to do it just to spread misery is even worse."
Even though Howard wasn't sure if the suspect had a weapon or friends lingering nearby, he said he would do it again.
"When criminals realize that people aren't going to take it, maybe they'll think twice," Howard said. "I'd do it again. I don't want that stuff going on in this neighborhood."
Goldak, who is listed at 6 feet tall, 125 pounds in his arrest report, appeared terrified as he stood in court awaiting his bond hearing. After court, aCook County
"'He looks at me and says, 'I'm scared,' " the deputy said. "I said, 'You ought to be.' "
A witness who chased down the suspect and held him for police said he was glad he stopped "a pretty cowardly thing."
At about 5 p.m. on March 3, Goldak came up behind the 78-year-old victim on the sidewalk near his home and grabbed her purse, a
As he fled, the witness yelled for someone to call the police and chased Goldak to the entrance of his apartment building, recovered the purse and held Goldak until police arrived, Antonietti said.
"When officers arrived, the defendant told them that he was having a bad day and [expletive] that woman, she could have a bad day, too," she said.
The witness who chased the suspect, criminal defense attorney Jake Howard, had just parked his car at a meter on Broadway, south of
At first, he thought the two people just stumbled and fell together. But then he realized there was no ice on the sidewalk, he said.
"When he hopped up and picked up the bag I knew something was wrong," Howard said in a telephone interview Wednesday. "If someone grabs a bag and starts running, they're up to no good as far as I'm concerned."
Another man ran to the woman's side, so Howard quickly decided to try to apprehend the alleged suspect, he said.
Howard, who plays rugby in his spare time, said he knew he could catch the guy.
At first the suspect was just walking in a fast pace, Howard said. "I told him, you better run (expletive)."
The suspect took off to a nearby apartment building and began to fish for his keys, Howard said.
"It seems like a dumb idea to snatch a purse in front of your apartment," Howard said.
Howard said he couldn't allow the suspect to get inside or he would lose him, so he jumped in the doorway and closed the door on the suspect's left hand. The suspect didn't put up much resistance and only said, " 'Dude, let my hand out of the door,' " Howard said. "I said no."
Another person on the street called police while Howard held the man. Three other "big guys" came to Howard's aid to wait for the police so the suspect wouldn't try to get away, he said.
Howard had no idea at first that the victim was an elderly woman. This angered him, he said. But what angered him even more was the suspect's excuse for committing the crime, he said.
"It's a pretty cowardly thing to snatch someone's purse anyway," Howard said. "But to do it just to spread misery is even worse."
Even though Howard wasn't sure if the suspect had a weapon or friends lingering nearby, he said he would do it again.
"When criminals realize that people aren't going to take it, maybe they'll think twice," Howard said. "I'd do it again. I don't want that stuff going on in this neighborhood."
Goldak, who is listed at 6 feet tall, 125 pounds in his arrest report, appeared terrified as he stood in court awaiting his bond hearing. After court, a
"'He looks at me and says, 'I'm scared,' " the deputy said. "I said, 'You ought to be.' "
