Random Attack At Joliet's Gateway Center: Arrest Made

Joliet IL

23 September, 2021

11:30 AM

Description

JOLIET, IL — A 28-year-old man from Aurora is no longer in the Will County Jail in connection with allegations that he was attacking people at downtown Joliet's Gateway Center last weekend. Joliet police arrested John Crowder on Sunday morning on charges of aggravated battery and obstructing justice. City police went to the Joliet Gateway Center at 90 East Jefferson St. around 5:45 a.m. after learning of an attack. Several people at the train station saw the incident unfold and called the police. "Officers determined that Crowder had attacked a male adult victim without any provocation," a Joliet police news release stated. "Further investigation revealed that the victim had just been dropped off by an Uber to commute to work on a train to Chicago." According to police, after the victim got out of the Uber, he began riding his skateboard. When he bent down to pick up his skateboard, Crowder hit him in the face without any provocation, police reports show. When the victim screamed for help, the Uber driver got involved, holding Crowder down until Joliet police arrived, authorities said. Police said the victim refused any medical attention. Crowder had been arrested the previous day for attacking multiple people at the Gateway Center in the same manner, police said. After the attack on the skateboard user, Crowder was taken to Silver Cross Hospital for treatment of his head injuries sustained during the altercation, according to police reports. Police said that after being released from the hospital, Crowder refused to enter the Joliet squad car for transport to the jail and began flailing his body around to resist the officers. Police said Crowder refused booking procedures at the downtown station. Jail records show Crowder was released from the county detention facility early Tuesday morning after posting 10 percent of his $7,500 bail. Prior to the incident involving the person on the skateboard at the Joliet Gateway Center, Crowder had been booked into county detention center around 3 p.m. on Saturday for a misdemeanor offense, but he was let out of the jail around 7:40 p.m. Saturday, jail records show.