Witnesses take action after WWII veteran was beaten and robbed

World War II veteran beaten, robbed during his weekly walk after buying lottery tickets
By Rosemary R. Sobol and Mitch Smith
Chicago Tribune reporters
8:51 p.m. CDT, July 31, 2012

Porter B. Cross lost his dentures, wallet and hearing aid when three young attackers knocked him to the ground and beat and robbed him in broad daylight Monday, but the proud World War II veteran hung on to the lottery tickets he had just bought and stuffed into a pocket.

The 87-year-old retired postal worker was returning from his weekly walk to a neighborhood store to buy $25 worth of Pick 4 and Mega Millions lottery tickets when he was assaulted from behind.

"I don't know what happened," Cross, struggling to speak without the dentures that were broken during the robbery, said Tuesday from his bed in his West Englewood residence on the South Side.

"I know they broke my teeth and they hit me here," he said as he pointed to his still-hurting chest. "They hit me and they kicked me."

Two meat delivery drivers, Dennis Weekly and Aiman Samad, said they witnessed the midafternoon attack and followed the attackers at a safe distance before flagging down passing patrol officers.

"I saw the man lying on the ground and three males standing over him, going through his pockets," Weekly said. "I followed them about four blocks until police got there. I kept my distance so they wouldn't know."
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