A 23-year-old Chicago man now faces three counts of aggravated battery after video surveillance showed he punched a female security guard in the face. According to reports, Matthew De Leon surrendered to police Tuesday (May 16) and through his representative apologized for his behavior.
“He knew what he did was wrong,” Dawn Valenti, a representative for De Leon said to The Chicago Tribune. ” I can’t tell you how sorry he is. He hit a woman. That’s not what he does.”
The security guard, 46-year-old Zoa Stigler, now has a broken bone below her eye and a broken nose, which doctors say will require surgery. In the footage, Stigler can be seen standing outside of a condo in the city’s River North section. Stigler stands next to De Leon who can be seen on the ground.
Stigler said she attempted to see if De Leon needed help and called 911 who arrived in the area, but not on the scene. A moment passes, and a woman accompanying De Leon arrives and at this time he vomits. Stigler said she retrieved a mop and bucket to clean up the mess and told De Leon and his friends to leave. The man then threw water at Stigler and then quickly punched her.
“He didn’t show any remorse. He didn’t say anything, and he just punched me,” Stigler told NBC Chicago.