Literally next door to where I work....

[truth]

Firm robbed, woman assaulted

Tribune staff reports
Published August 19, 2004, 9:09 AM CDT

Police are seeking three men, possibly teenagers, who allegedly robbed a North Side business and sexually assaulted a female employee, WGN-Ch. 9 reported.

The incident happened about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday as a 22-year-old woman and a 24-year-old male coworker were closing up the office of Entertainment Works, on the 1300 block of North Halsted Street in the Goose Island area, WGN reported.

Three men allegedly confronted the victims at gunpoint, forced them back inside the office, tied them up and sexually assaulted the woman.

The assailants then fled with the victims' wallets and cell phones, and laptop computers belonging to the company.

The male coworker broke free and called 911. Emergency personnel took the woman to Lincoln Park Hospital, where she was reported in good condition this morning. The man was not injured.

The victim's mother told WGN her daughter has worked for Entertainment Works for about four years, conducting movie surveys for the firm. She is now helping police investigate the attack.

"She's doing OK," the mother said. "I mean, time will tell as it really hits her. She even understands that, that she's probably repressing a lot and just coping."

Tribune wires contributed to this story.

[Buzzworthy]

You just need to move to the Wasatch.

That kind of stuff does not happen here.





That is horrible though.

[Yossarian]

Thats where you work? I thought you were in Loop. Closer than I thought. I'm swinging by sometime. Meet ya fer lunch or something. I'll be back in town on the 28th for a few days...

Shite story though, boooooooooooooo. I hate rotten people. Stuff like that can change someone's whole viewpoint; the world simply becomes a more dangerous place for them, harsher, grayer, meaner. So sad.

[truth]

Live in the loop, work near north side (though we just bought a new site in Pilsen)...Yoss, if we don't hook up this trip you're off my speed dial!

[Yossarian]

Fair enough.
Don't get mugged in the meantime, eh?

[tuffy109]

we had a double murder in broad day light last sunday three blocks from my house.

[This End Up]

Truth, moving from 1300 North Halsted to Pilsen? Sounds like your company has an affinity for sketchy hoods.

[truth]

Originally posted by This End Up
Truth, moving from 1300 North Halsted to Pilsen? Sounds like your company has an affinity for sketchy hoods.

The nature of the manufacturing beast my friend. The Pilsen site is far safer though. The street has only city waste transfer on it and there is 24 hour video of the entire block. The sheriff dept also uses the WT scales for random truck inspections so there is almost always a pig around. On Halsted the Cabrini will always be Cabrini until they level the last building. We've been here for 90 years so the reality is no shocker to us.

[mr_gyptian]

That's close to my old dojo. I honestly cannot imagine what cabrini was like 15-20 years ago. For my money, though. The west side @ 3800 hamlin area is much scarier than Cabrini, now. Area around Commie goes without saying.

[truth]

North Town Building Tenants Say Security A Problem
Woman Raped During Robbery
POSTED: 1:11 PM CDT August 19, 2004
UPDATED: 5:14 PM CDT August 19, 2004



CHICAGO -- Tenants of a building where two people were robbed at gunpoint said Thursday that they are concerned about their safety. One of those who was robbed was also sexually assaulted.

A man and a woman, employees of Entertainment Works at 1332 N. Halsted St., were locking up their business office to go home at around 10:40 p.m. Wednesday when three men forced them back inside, police news affairs officer Alice Casanova said.

Updated Images: Halsted Street Assault
Video: Workers Robbed; Woman Raped
Article: North Halsted Office Workers Robbed, Assaulted

The men then sexually assaulted the woman, who was 22 years old. Police also said that they believe the three men responsible for the crime are between 14 and 16 years old.

"Before she knew it, these guys barged in," said the victim's mother, who remained anonymous. "They don't know where they came from or anything. But, as (the employees) were leaving, (the attackers) pushed their way in, and that was it."

The woman was taken to Lincoln Park Hospital and listed in good condition early Thursday, Casanova said. She was later released.

The men also took several laptop computers that belonged to the company before fleeing the office, Casanova added.

"Breaking in is one thing, but to attack somebody, that's scary," said building tenant Ditka Kratka

The building's tenants demanded a meeting with the building's owners and managers on Thursday, NBC5's Kim Vatis reported on Thursday. Instead of a meeting, the tenants received a letter from the management company promising a security guard in the future, NBC5's Anita Padilla reported.

Vatis further reported that many of the tenants said they have been at the building between 15 and 16 years, but they have never seen anything like this incident.

"We see people smoking crack and stuff out of our office window," said John Casey, who works in the area. "So the element is still there."

NBC5's attempts to reach the building's management for comment were unsuccessful.

Even with a security system, Vatis reported that there has been a history of break-ins at the building. The tenants are also questioning why a security guard at the building was eliminated. Padilla reported that the security guard was put in place after two burglaries. The security guard was only in place for two weeks.

"I'm very upset -- it's very distressing," said tenant Alexander Dee. "It's not a good thing. There have been some security issues in this building that need to be addressed right away."

The victims work on the second floor of the 4-story, multi-tenant office building, according to Robert Matanky, a partner at the Matanky & Matanky law firm with offices in the building.

Matanky said that he did not know the two victims, but the rape and robbery was only the latest in a spate of robberies and burglaries that have taken place in the building recently.

His law firm was burglarized on July 8 and another place of business was broken in to on July 7, he said.

Matanky blamed inadequate building security for the crimes.new graf "This is a problem with the security, and the management has been unresponsive," he said.

"I'm very concerned. There are a lot of other tenants here who work late, too," Matanky said, adding that he had left the building only 20 minutes before Wednesday crimes.

Susanne Moncrieff, another building tenant, also expressed concerns about the building's security.

"We almost all have security alarms on our spaces, and yet still, this tragedy happened last night," she said.

The building is in the newly gentrified North Town area, which also includes Cabrini Green.

"You'd hope when the neighborhood gentrifies that things will turn around and get a lot safer," said John Slavin, who works in the area. "But it's not someplace I want to live myself."