Mentally Disabled Man Tied up and Tortured Live on Facebook in Chicago; Four Held for Heinous Assault
The latest case in Chicago's growing crime wave is a reprehensible one.
Four people have been arrested after they streamed a live video on Facebook in which they assaulted and tortured a special-needs man. The 18-year-old victim, described as developmentally challenged by authorities, was tied up and assaulted for 30 minutes.
Two men and two women, all believed to be 18-years-old, were taken into custody by the Chicago police on Wednesday after authorities were made aware of the social media video. The video was posted by Brittany Herring, one of the four arrested in connection with the crime, reports the Daily Mail.
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The authorities have not released identities of the other three offenders or the victim as of now.
The victim, who was reported missing from his suburb house, was held hostage by his abusers in an apartment on the 3400 block of West Lexington on Chicago's West Side.
In the shocking video, the victim was seen backed into a corner with a duct tape covering his mouth. His African-American assaulters can be seen beating him, cutting his clothes and hair until his scalp bled, and even flicking cigarette ash on his head. Throughout the video, the offenders can be heard laughing and making disparaging remarks about President-elect Donald Trump and white people.
"It's sickening. It's sickening," Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson told reporters Wednesday evening at a news conference. "You know, it makes you wonder what would make individuals treat somebody like that. I've been a cop for 28 years, and I've seen things that you shouldn't see in a lifetime, but it still amazes me how you still see things that you just shouldn't."
The victim was brought to Chicago from suburban Streamwood in a van stolen by the offenders. Chicago Police Commander Kevin Duffin also said that the victim was an acquaintance of one of the offenders, both having attended the same school.
The police also stated that they found the victim walking around on Tuesday night in a distressed and disoriented manner. They found it difficult to communicate with him as he was traumatized by the incident.
Responding to a later call regarding a battery at a nearby residence, the police discovered signs of struggle and damage to the property which they associated with the man they had found earlier.
They arrested the four accused after Chicago community activist Andrew Holmes got a hold of the video and filed a report with the police, reports CBS Chicago.
The victim was reunited with his parents late on Wednesday after receiving treatment in the hospital.
All the four offenders are currently in police custody and will face criminal charges. It remains unclear whether they will be charged with kidnapping and assault or a hate crime.
