CHICAGO, IL – A woman was brutally assaulted by a man wearing a clown mask in a Chicago laundromat on the city’s Northwest Side. The attack left Erika Gierczak, who had been merely waiting for her mother to pick her up, with a multitude of knife wounds.
Gierczak, who frequents the Portage Park laundromat, admitted to having had an uneasy feeling right before the incident. However, considering her regular safe experiences at the laundromat, she brushed the feeling off. With no forewarning or utterance of words, the attacker stormed into the laundromat and began assaulting her.
Gierczak’s account indicates a freezing fear that kept her from fleeing, leaving her vulnerable to the stabbings from the silent assailant behind a creepy clown mask. She tried protecting vital organs by using her limbs to shield her torso and head. Despite pleading for the attacker to stop, Gierczak suffered multiple stabbings on her legs and arms, all within an estimated 50 seconds, before the attacker swiftly left the scene.
Subsequently, Gierczak suffered from memory loss after dialing 911 and witnessing her injuries’ severity. She was admitted to Lutheran Hospital in serious condition. Currently, the attack has left her battling not just the physical injuries, but also the mental trauma associated with such an experience.
The authorities have been notified of the incident that occurred on Friday evening in the 5800 block of West Montrose Avenue, however, no potential suspects are in custody at this time. Gierczak urged anyone with any information about the horrifying incident to contact the Chicago police.