Forwarding a message from one of last night's mugging victims

[Ruth Abbey]

Please respond directly to  

ca...@uchicago.edu  

if you see any of the property items he describes.

Thanks!

Dear neighbors,

I was one of the victims of the robberies that took place in Hyde Park on the evening of Friday, 6 July.  I want to say just a bit more about the form of the event, to help people to be aware, and also ask for you aid, just in case some of my property can be recovered.

I was on foot, exiting from the playground of the Murray Academy and turning west onto on 54th.  A car pulled up alongside me and two young men got out; another remained at the wheel.  They called out, "What have you got in the bag?"  I started to cross the street, but one caught up to me.  We struggled a bit -- I called out to someone who was walking his dog, but he (and the dog) walked very quickly away and did not return.  After further heated words and further tussling, the second young man brandished a semi-automatic handgun and urged me to relinquish the bag, and to allow them to take the contents of my pockets.  They took whatever they could get quickly (the bag + my phone), returned to the car, and drove east on 54th.

A very kind gentleman pulled up to the stop sign immediately thereafter and responded to my look of upset.  He asked what had happened, and drove quickly after the other car, in the hope of seeing its license plate.  He returned to report that he had not succeeded.  I was trying at just that moment to track and erase my phone and computer and so didn't have the chance to talk, but the gentleman stuck around to give a report to the police.  He was both kind and brave, and if this reaches him, he has my profound thanks.

I do not expect to recover the phone and computer.  But my property was in a white canvas Fox & Obel shopping bag.  My only pair of eyeglasses was in the bag, as was a retainer that I wear for my  teeth at night.  The latter two items have no value to anyone except me, and it seems\t was just possible that the fellows would keep the electronics and dump the bag.  If anyone finds the bag or eyeglasses or even the retainer, I would be exceedingly glad to get them back.

yours,

Clifford Ando
ca...@uchicago.edu