“I thought he was going to kill him.” Those were the words of a woman who watched a man brutally attack her 73-year-old husband during a road rage incident last month in Oak Lawn.
Joseph and Deborah — who asked to be identified only by their first names — say they are still terrified after the encounter at Cicero Avenue and Southwest Highway on Nov. 28.
Joseph suffered a broken nose, a broken jaw, two broken teeth, and severe scrapes on his hands. Nearly two weeks later, he is still recovering.
“He had to have two plates put in his jaw,” Deborah said.
According to Oak Lawn police, the attacker is 41-year-old D’Angelo Groce of Rockford.
The couple said they were heading south on Cicero Avenue near 90th Street when Groce pulled out of a gas station in his truck and cut Deborah off as she tried to switch lanes to turn onto Southwest Highway.
“When I tried to get over, he sped up and plowed right into me,” Deborah said. “I got out and said, ‘What the hell, dude?’ He didn’t say a word. He came up to me and pushed me. I fell backwards, landed on my elbows. My glasses flew off. I lost my phone on Cicero Avenue.”
Joseph got out to help his wife, but Groce punched him, knocking him to the ground. Deborah said she heard Groce threaten Joseph, saying, “Get up again, MFer, and I’m going to finish you,” as her husband struggled to stand.
“I was crying. I just kept yelling, ‘Stop it! Stop hitting him!’” she said.
Witnesses called 911. Police arrested Groce at the scene and charged him with two counts of aggravated battery.
He has a lengthy criminal history, including a 2010 burglary conviction, a 2012 domestic violence conviction, and 2020 convictions for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault with a motor vehicle. He completed probation from the 2020 case in December 2023.
Now, with the holidays approaching, Deborah is left dealing with the fallout — including more than $2,000 in car repairs and around $7,000 in dental surgery bills for her husband.
“We have no dental insurance,” she said. Her husband, who was diagnosed with dementia three years ago, is facing even more hardship. “He’s going through enough. To experience this kind of pain is just totally unnecessary.”
A judge ordered Groce held at the Cook County Jail, calling him a threat to public safety. He is due back in court on December 19.