Chicago (WLS) – Chicago police say a man attempted to sexually assault a US Postal Service carrier before stealing its mail truck Saturday morning in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood.
Police released a still image captured by CCTV inside a convenience store at a gas station moments before the attack. They hope this will help them locate this man, which the USPS describes as “armed and dangerous.”
Police said the 28-year-old postal worker was in her postal car at the 2800 block of South Pulaski Road at 9:15 a.m. when she found a man hiding inside.
The CPD issued a community alert saying the suspect “pulled her by the hair and told her to drive to a nearby parking lot…then told her to move to the back of the truck and undress.”
Police said that as she tried to flee through the back of the truck, the suspect hit her and took off some of her clothes.
Police said the victim eventually managed to escape with the suspect after a struggle and then drove off in her postal car.
“We saw a lot of team cars racing south, says this woman who was preparing to sell a yard not half a block from the gas station,” said Nora Favela, a resident of Little Village.
The abandoned truck was found a short time later in the 4500 block of West Marquette Road in West Lawn.
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The victim was rushed to St. Anthony’s Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and was released, according to the USPS.
The warning stated that the suspect had multiple tattoos on his arms and chest and tattoos on the side of his head.
Meanwhile, a second vehicle, which was also abandoned outside the gas station where the assault took place, may be part of the investigation.
The police were unable to determine if she was the assailant. However, the store manager said he was left working for several hours and never claimed, so it was checked out late on a Saturday afternoon.
“I went out around 10 a.m. and just saw a bunch of police cars, duct tape around and they were looking inside a car,” said Sam, a resident of the small village.
The CPD and the USPS both request public assistance in this matter. If you recognize the man, the police ask you not to confront him and call the investigators.
The Postal Service is now offering a reward of up to $50,000 to anyone who provides information leading to their arrest and conviction.
Anyone with information is urged to call the United States Postal Inspection Service hotline at 877-876-2455.
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