CHICAGO, Nov. 26 (UPI) -- A beggar invited to share an Illinois veteran's home allegedly returned the kindness by beating the 94-year-old to death after demanding $100, police say.
World War II veteran Stanley Letkiewicz had befriended the homeless man after seeing him last year outside his local discount supermarket and thought he could use a place to live while providing Letkiewicz companionship and help around the house, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Friday.
Before retiring Letkiewicz, who had run a bowling alley and worked as a machinist, turned his back on the invitations made by his only son Raymond to live with him -- and on Raymond's warnings about the man Letkiewicz had befriended.
On Sept. 3, the vagrant allegedly demanded $100 from Letkiewicz before punching him 10 times, the Sun-Times said.
Letkiewicz threw him out and called police.
Police say the beggar returned Wednesday, inflicting a second beating which eventually killed him but not before the veteran identified his attacker, still at large, to his son. Police describe the attacker as Latino, in his 40s, about 6 feet tall and 220 pounds, with thinning short hair, the Chicago Tribune said.
"I just hope they catch this guy before he does it to someone else," Raymond said, reflecting the sentiment of Letkiewicz's neighbor, Francisco DelAngel.
"Stanley tried to help this guy," DelAngel said. "I tried to warn him, but he was an old man and you couldn't tell him what to do."
