Suspect charged with attacking homeless man with ax in Arlington Heights parking garage
A man who prosecutors say described himself as "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" is charged with attempted murder in an attack Sunday on an unhoused man sleeping in the underground portion of a downtown Arlington Heights parking garage.
Mitchell Nowak, 50, of Arlington Heights was ordered held in the Cook County jail Monday on $200,000 cash bail. He must post the entire amount to be released from custody.
According to county prosecutors, Nowak approached the sleeping man at about 6:30 a.m. Sunday and struck him with a bicycle. The man, who had been sleeping in the secluded area for about two years, kicked at the bike and threw it off himself, only to find Nowak standing above him holding an ax, Assistant Cook County State's Attorney Faith Hook said.
Using the blunt and the sharp side of the ax, Nowak struck the victim's feet, legs, hips and, finally, his head, Hook said. At that point, the ax broke. The metal part hit the ground, Hook said, but the defendant maintained his hold on the wooden handle.
After the homeless man stood up, prosecutors said, Nowak ripped metal pieces off the bike and threw them at the man, hitting his tooth, face and toe. Nowak yelled "that he would kill the victim and get rid of the homeless," Hook said.
After the homeless man picked up the sharp end of the ax to defend himself, Nowak struck his hand with the handle, causing him to drop the blade, Hook said. Nowak then struck the man in the stomach with the handle and used it to put him in a chokehold, Hook said.
Nowak also destroyed some of the man's belongings, Hook added.
By the time police arrived, Nowak had fled on his bike, leaving the ax handle behind. The man, who identified the defendant from a photograph, told police Nowak has harassed and threatened to harm him for several years, Hook said.
Officers, who prosecutors say are familiar with the defendant, drove to his home and arrested him. According to Hook, when Nowak spoke to officers, he compared himself to the titular character in "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter," a 2010 history-horror novel by Seth Grahame-Smith.
Nowak is scheduled to return to court May 12.
The attack comes less than a week after Arlington Heights officials said they are planning to crack down on an increase of what they called "undesirable activity" in the downtown parking garages. That includes vandalism, overnight camping, unauthorized storage of personal property, urination and public intoxication, Village Manager Randy Recklaus said last week.