Joseph Kromelis Bio – Joseph Kromelis Wiki
Joseph Kromelis known locally as the “Walking Man,” was doused in lighter fluid and set on fire by a stranger while he slept on a sidewalk, police say A homeless man who was allegedly set on fire by a stranger in the middle of the night is not expected to survive, authorities say.
AGE:
Joseph Kromelis was 75 years old.
DETAIL OF INCIDENCE:
Joseph Kromelis known locally as the “Walking Man,” was doused in lighter fluid and set on fire by a stranger while he slept on a sidewalk, police say A homeless man who was allegedly set on fire by a stranger in the middle of the night is not expected to survive, authorities say.
Citing court documents, CBS News reports 75-year-old Joseph Kromelis _ who is known in the Chicago area as the “Walking Man” for his tendency to walk the city, regardless of the weather — was sleeping on a sidewalk, when 27-year-old Joseph Guardia allegedly doused him in lighter fluid and set him on fire a little before 3:00 a.m. on Wednesday.
According to the documents, surveillance video allegedly showed Guardia carrying a cup and approaching the victim. After appearing to visually confirm there was no traffic or other people in the area, Guardia allegedly poured the liquid from the cup onto a sleeping Kromelis before setting him on fire, per the document.
“The victim’s body immediately became engulfed in flames,” Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney Danny Hanichak said according to WLS-TV. “As the victim got up, he began thrashing around trying to put the fire out. The defendant took off running.”
Police were able to track down and interview Guardia, who allegedly identified himself as the person in the surveillance footage, the document states.
He allegedly claimed he “found the McDonalds cup full of gasoline on top of some garbage,” according to the documents. He allegedly told investigators that because he was an “angry person,” he was “going to burn some trash.”
Despite the victim’s feet and head being reportedly exposed, Hanichak said, “The defendant claimed he didn’t know a person was there.”
Court documents state Kromelis is currently sedated and suffers from “non-survivable” burns to more than half of his body. He is not expected to recover, and in addition to the charge against Guardia of aggravated arson, the initial charge of attempted first-degree murder will likely be upgraded.
“The offenses charged here today … are exceptionally brutal and heinous,” Judge Charles Beach said before denying Guardia bail, per the Chicago Sun-Times. “The random and callous nature of your attack is horrifying.”
Leave a Reply