Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO — People have donated thousands of dollars and have even offered free legal help to a River North building guard who was punched by a man she tried to help over the weekend.
The early Sunday attack was captured by surveillance cameras at the entrance of the building in the 600 block of North Franklin Street. As of Tuesday morning, police reported no arrests.
The video shows the guard, Zoa Stigler, walking up to a man after he sat down on the sidewalk and leaned against the building just before 2 a.m. Sunday. Stigler said she checked on whether the man needed help and then called Chicago police.
Stigler is seen on the video bringing out a bucket after the man vomited. Shortly afterward, another man and two women showed up and Stigler said she told the four to leave.
The man who had been sitting down threw a water bottle at Stigler and then punched her in the face.
“When he threw the water, I was shocked,” Stigler told WGN-TV. “I don’t even know what made me walk up to him.”
The man’s friends appear to have seen what happened, but they all walked away with the unidentified man.
“Why would you hit a human being in the face that is trying to assist you, trying to help you?” Stigler said.
Stigler said the punch caused injuries to her nose and eye.
The president of the building’s condo association has started a GoFundMe page to raise money for her expenses. The initial goal was $5,000 but was raised to $15,000 after donations poured in. By Tuesday morning, more than $8,600 had been raised.
One owner of a condo in the building wrote, “My friend is a really good lawyer and said he will represent her pro bono.”
Asad Khan, who created the GoFundMe page, said Stigler began working there about two months ago. She initially declined any financial help when he brought it up Sunday.
“She said, ‘Oh no, no, no,’ ’’ according to Khan.
But Khan said he spoke to her again on Monday, telling her he was going ahead with the page “because we are getting so many people who want to help.’’
“She needs surgery on her eye,’’ Khan said. “He fractured her right eye socket and the bridge of her nose.”
Khan called Stigler an “exemplary” worker and an “amazing” person. “Amazing person that she is, she actually cleaned up that guy’s vomit before she went to the hospital,” he said.
The building acquired the surveillance system just a week ago. “I didn’t get it to catch anything like this,’’ he said. “Nothing like this has ever happened.’’
Photos from the video have been posted throughout the building. “We’ve shared it everywhere with all our residents,’’ he said. “Everybody is on the lookout for this guy.’’
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