Leeda.the.Paladin
Well-Known Member
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 Monday afternoon, 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.
GoFundMe page to raise $5,000 for her expenses. By mid-afternoon Monday, nearly $3,000 had been raised, much of it from residents of the building.
One condo owner 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.’’