Man sought after sexually abusing children at Chicago playground
A man is accused of making inappropriate contact with two young girls at a Dearborn Park playground in Chicago's South Loop.
Police said he grabbed one girl and briefly touched another before following the group and fleeing through a nearby tunnel.
Authorities are searching for the suspect, described as a man in his 60s or 70s with a bald head, facial hair, and a gold tooth.
CHICAGO - Police are searching for a man who inappropriately touched two young girls at a playground Tuesday evening in the South Loop.
What we know
The incident happened around 7:37 p.m. in the 1200 block of South Plymouth Court, where three girls were playing at Jones Park, according to a community alert from Chicago police. Authorities said the man approached one of the girls as she crawled on playground equipment and grabbed her. He then sat next to another girl, briefly spoke with her and touched her inappropriately before all three children left the area.
The man reportedly followed them for a short time before fleeing north through the Plymouth Court tunnel, police said.
The suspect is described as a Black man between 60 and 70 years old with a bald head and gray or white facial hair. He was missing several teeth but had at least one gold tooth. He was last seen wearing a black long-sleeve shirt with a white skeleton decal and blue jeans.
What you can do
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Special Investigations Unit at (312) 492-3810 or submit an anonymous tip at CPDTIP.com using reference #JJ290867.
The Source
The information in this report came from the Chicago Police Department.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
5 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Former Mercury interim coach Nikki Blue accuses team in lawsuit of racial and gender discrimination
PHOENIX (AP) — Lawyers for former Phoenix Mercury interim coach Nikki Blue have filed a lawsuit against the organization, alleging unequal treatment based on race and gender, unequal pay based on race and that her employment was terminated in retaliation for complaints about unequal treatment. The suit was filed on Thursday in U.S. District Court in Arizona. Blue, who is Black, was hired in 2022 as an assistant coach and was named the team's interim coach in June 2023 after Vanessa Nygaard was fired midseason. Blue had a 7-21 record in the interim role. Blue was not retained after the season. The Mercury hired Orlando Magic assistant Nate Tibbets, who is white. The suit claims that Blue was paid $250,000 in her interim role, which was less than the $375,000 that Nygaard, who is white, was making. Tibbets is reportedly making more than $1 million per season. Blue also claims that the Mercury organization set her up to fail, making roster decisions in 2023 that made the team noncompetitive. 'Despite her exemplary record and professionalism, Ms. Blue was cast aside, demeaned, and denied the opportunity to lead,' the law firm Mesidor PLLC, co-counsel on the case, said in a statement. 'This lawsuit is not just about one woman's career — it's about the pervasive, institutional disrespect for Black women in sports leadership.' One of Blue's lawyers is Sheree Wright, who has filed other suits against the NBA's Phoenix Suns and the Mercury in recent seasons. 'This is the fifth lawsuit brought against the organization by Sheree Wright, an attorney who has been disciplined twice by the Supreme Court of Arizona for committing numerous violations of the rules of professional conduct — including making false and unsupported allegations of racial bias against a judge," Suns and Mercury senior vice president of communications Stacey Mitch said in a statement. "Like Ms. Wright's other cases, this case is completely meritless. Ms. Blue was interviewed and considered for the head coach position, but didn't get the position based on her performance as interim head coach, as well as her limited professional coaching experience. 'Sheree Wright's continued abuse of the legal system for financial gain is unethical.'
USA Today
11 hours ago
- USA Today
'Senseless violence': 4 killed, 14 injured in drive-by shooting in Chicago
Four people were killed and 14 were injured in a drive-by shooting in Chicago's River North neighborhood July 2, police said. The shooting happened at about 11 p.m. when a dark-colored vehicle drove by and fired into a crowd of people standing outside before immediately fleeing the scene, the Chicago Police Department said in a statement to USA TODAY. The incident occurred outside Artis Restaurant and Lounge, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson confirmed during a news conference. The deceased victims included two men 24 and 25 and two women ages 26 and 27, police said. The injured ranged in ages from 21 to 32 and were taken to area hospitals. Three of the injured were in critical condition: One was shot in the back, a second was shot in the leg and another in the mouth. The 18 people were shot "in a matter of seconds," Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said at a news conference. Police have not made any arrests and were investigating the morning of July 3. "Clearly, there was some target. This wasn't some random shooting where someone just decided that they were going to shoot at this particular group of people," Snelling told reporters. He said police do not yet know the motive for the shooting. Multiple shell casings were found at the scene including ones that appeared to be from a rifle, Snelling said. Artis Restaurant and Lounge was hosting a party for local rapper Mello Buckzz when the shooting occurred, outlets including WGN and the Chicago Sun-Times reported. "Last night, an act of violence happened within the vicinity of our restaurant – and it shook us deeply," Artis said in a post to social media, adding that it was created as a safe space for people of color, LGBTQ people and allies. "This moment is painful – but it only strengthens our commitment to holding space for those who need it most." The restaurant said it was working with authorities. Police have ordered the restaurant to close during the ongoing investigation. Mello Buckzz posted on social media after the shooting, saying "Prayers up for all my sisters god please wrap yo arms around every last one of them." In a separate post she added: "I don't wish this typa pain on nobody." The incident was one of two mass shootings in Chicago the night of July 2, Mayor Brandon Johnson said. The other left four victims hospitalized on the far south side. Chicago police are planning to increase their presence during the Fourth of July weekend around popular areas where people gather, including the lake front, beaches and parks, Snelling said. Johnson said he was "frustrated and angered by this senseless and cowardice act of violence." "Shootings like these are a tragic reminder of how far we still have to go as a city," he said.
San Francisco Chronicle
11 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Tennessee death row inmate makes last-ditch effort to prevent Aug. 5 execution
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Attorneys for a Tennessee death row inmate have launched a last-ditch effort to prevent his Aug. 5 execution. In Nashville's Chancery Court, they are asking a judge to require the Tennessee Department of Correction to deactivate an implanted defibrillation device similar to a pacemaker in the moments before Byron Black's execution. If the judge rules in their favor, such an order could potentially delay the execution until the state finds someone willing to do the deactivation. Meanwhile, at the state Supreme Court level, they want judges to order a lower court to consider their claim that Black is incompetent to be executed. The attorneys also have filed a general challenge to the state's new execution protocol, but with a trial scheduled for 2026, any ruling there will come too late for Black. Black was convicted in the 1988 shooting deaths of girlfriend Angela Clay, 29, and her two daughters, Latoya, 9, and Lakeisha, 6. Prosecutors said Black was in a jealous rage when he shot the three at their home. At the time, Black was on work-release while serving time for shooting and wounding Clay's estranged husband. Black has already seen three execution dates come and go, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and a pause on all executions from Gov. Bill Lee after the Department of Correction was found to not be testing the execution drugs for potency and purity as required. Black's attorneys have previously tried and failed to show that he should not be executed because he is intellectually disabled, and that would violate the state's Constitution. In a new twist on the same theme, his attorneys now argue that the court should consider Black's competence to be executed under older English common law standards. The state counters that Black does not meet the criteria for incompetency because he understands his conviction, his pending execution, and the relation between the two. Separately, Black's attorneys are asking a different court to rule that his implanted cardioverter-defibrillator must be deactivated just before the execution. They suggest that otherwise the device will continually try to restart his heart, prolonging the execution and causing Black to suffer unnecessarily. Because most medical professionals are unwilling to participate in executions — considering it a violation of medical ethics — it could potentially be time consuming and difficult to find someone willing to deactivate the device in order to kill Black more easily. A hearing on the motion is set for July 14.
