Authorities reported five young men were arrested after allegedly attacking a 49-year-old Northwest Side pizza parlor owner, who had recognized one of the assailants as his son's hockey teammate and identified the other suspects through his son's Facebook page.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Elmwood Park residents Aaron Diaz, 20; Carlo Suarez, 17; Arlind Nikolla, 21; Mateusz Luszczek, 20, and Joseph Wolf, 19, were all arrested and charged with aggravated battery and armed robbery following the owner's attack.
Cook County state’s attorney’s office spokesperson Andy Conklin said the 49-year-old was beaten after he confronted two of the men, Diaz and Suarez, for harassing one of his employees at his restaurant, Baci Pizzeria. All five suspects, including Diaz and Suarez, struck the owner’s face with their fists before immediately leaving the scene.
The victim contacted police and then ran after the suspects, catching up with them a few blocks down the restaurant next to a white van. The assailants then came out of the vehicle and started beating and kicking the victim, who fell to the ground. Conklin said the owner later felt one of the suspects grab his cell phone and wallet from his pocket.
“This is what you get for messing with the wolf gang,” said one of the attackers to the owner.
Officials arrested Diaz and Suarez when they arrived at the scene, and the victim ended up recognizing Suarez as one of his son’s teammates from their hockey team. The owner then used his son’s Facebook once he returned home to find and identify the other three suspects involved in the beating.
As of Monday, all five suspects were being held on $40,000 bail.
Related Resources:
- Talk To A Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney (FindLaw)
- Beating Victim Found Attackers On Facebook (NBC Chicago)
- Aggravated Assault / Battery (FindLaw)
- Assault and Battery Penalties and Sentencing (FindLaw)
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