Pastor and Wife Attacked During Brutal Chance Encounter in Chicago's South Side
A Chicago pastor and his wife were brutally attacked with a shovel over the weekend and endured serious injuries.
Timothy and Renee Johnson were assaulted Saturday as they did yard work for Renee’s 95-year-old mother, according to WBBM-TV.
The man who attacked them, identified as Elijah Rule Hill Prince by Fox News, reportedly approached Timothy and inquired about selling him something. However, the pastor informed the man he was not interested.
Upon his refusal to purchase anything, Rule Hill Prince beat Timothy with a shovel that the Johnsons were using to do yard work, WBBM reported.
Seeing her husband being brutally attacked, Renee reportedly ran to check on him and was then assaulted as well.
According to Fox News, Rule Hill Prince proceeded to put Timothy in a chokehold, punch him in the face, gouge Timothy’s eyes with his fingers, shove a wooden block into his left eye, bite his ears and head and spit in his mouth.
The outlet reported that Renee similarly endured gruesome injuries, as her eyes were gouged and “large chunks” of her ears were bit off by the man. Rule Hill Prince allegedly spit on her, as well.
Timothy then pulled the wooden object out of his eye and called the police, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The outlet reported both Johnsons were taken to the hospital in serious condition.
Prosecutors said pieces of the couples’ ears could not be reattached, despite being located at the scene of the crime.
“No one wants this to happen to any person at all, let alone your own parents,” their son, Joshua Johnson, told WBBM.
Prosecutors said Rule Hill Prince was arrested covered in blood, telling police officers it was the “blood of peasants,” Fox News reported. He was absent for a Monday hearing, as he was being given a psychiatric test.
He faces charges of aggravated battery and attempted murder, according to the Sun-Times.
Rule Hill Prince is being held on a $5 million bail and is due back in court on May 10.
Upon hearing the description of the attack, Judge John F. Lyke Jr. said he felt like he was “listening to a horror movie,” as the charges brought against Rule Hill Prince “shock the conscience.”
“I don’t even want to repeat it,” the judge said.
The couple will be unable to work for the foreseeable future and currently have a GoFundMe page set up to cover medical expenses that has, as of Friday morning, raised over $116,000.
“My parents’ hearts are so big. My parents’ love is overflowing,” Timothy and Renee’s daughter, Destinee Johnson, told WBBM. “We don’t know why this happened, right. But it’s a nightmare, but blessings in it as well.”
“This has been a devastating blow to our family and our finances,” she added on the GoFundMe page. “We are asking for your your prayers and support as we navigate through this difficult time.”
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