Police search for man who beat, robbed track employee

Arlington Heights police said they are searching for an Arlington Park racetrack employee who may have committed a robbery of another employee early Tuesday morning.

Arlington Heights police spokesman Doug Hajek said officers were called to the track at 1:55 a.m. by a person who claimed he was robbed and beaten up near the employee dorms.

Hajek said the 24-year-old man told police that he was walking near the backstretch with another employee when the other person began punching and kicking him. After the victim was knocked down, the robber took his wallet and between $500 and $700 in cash it contained, Hajek said.

The robber then fled through a wooded area northeast of the racetrack.

The victim, who was bleeding from head and right ear, was taken to Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights for treatment, Hajek said.

Officers attempted to follow the robber using canine units, but the dogs lost the scent in the woods.

Arlington Heights Detective William Kirby said the victim was highly intoxicated when the crime occurred and police are waiting to re-interview him to clarify the story.

The suspect remained at large Tuesday night.

Hajek said the robber stands about 5-feet-10 and has a slim build. He has short black hair and a dark complexion and was last seen wearing a red hat and a blue shirt.

Anyone with information should contact police at (847) 368-5300.