CHICAGO — A man with a long history of randomly attacking women in downtown Chicago has been arrested twice this month for punching victims near the Magnificent Mile—a woman and a 15-year-old girl, court records show. Despite his history and the fact that he is on parole for the exact same thing, William Livingston was only charged with misdemeanors.
Maybe if he threw a Big Gulp on someone, the state would take it more seriously.
In February 2022, Livingston was charged with randomly attacking four women on a Tuesday afternoon in the Loop. He was also accused of trying to rob two of the victims. He was subsequently charged with attacking a fifth woman after she recognized him in news coverage.
Livingston cut a quick deal with prosecutors, getting five years upon pleading guilty to two counts of robbery, two counts of attempted robbery, and one count of aggravated battery in a public place.
When we reported on his sentence in August 2022, we mentioned that the Illinois Department of Corrections expected him to be paroled in May of this year.
But that’s not what happened.
Served a fraction of the time
Somehow, Livingston was back on the street over a year ago. How do we know? Because on August 8 last year, he was arrested for allegedly knocking a woman in the face as she walked on the Mag Mile. A CPD report said the 27-year-old woman was walking in the 600 block of North Michigan when Livingston slammed his elbow into her face, causing her to bleed from her nose and lips.
Cops arrested him, IDOC decided not to hold him for a parole review, and he was released on a recognizance bond, according to court filings. IDOC subsequently changed its mind and Livingston was sent back to prison about ten days after the Mag Mile attack.
He wasn’t in prison for long, though. IDOC records show they released him again on January 26, still four months earlier than his original parole date.
Livingston, 31, is now facing accusations of additional attacks, the first of which occurred on August 14.
In a CPD report, officers wrote that a “frantic citizen” flagged them down near the intersection of Chicago and Wells because Livingston “was attacking people in the area” and had just “whipped” a woman.
As the citizen pointed Livingston out to the cops, they saw him punch another woman in the face, according to the report. She ran away, and the officers never found her. As a result, Livingston was only charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct. His parole did not get revoked and he was released from custody the next day.
Less than two weeks later, on August 25, a 15-year-old girl was walking with her mother in the 600 block of North Michigan when Livingston forcefully used his left elbow to strike the [girl] about her right cheek,” a CPD report said. The girl suffered a cut and abrasion and was visibly red, according to the report.
Officers posted nearby quickly learned of the attack and arrested Livingston. In their report, they noted that they remembered him from his August 14 arrest.
Livingston was again charged only with misdemeanor battery. But IDOC decided to put a hold on him pending parole review.
During a court appearance on August 28, Livingston pleaded guilty to the August 14 and August 25 charges. Judge Donald Panarese Jr. sentenced him to 100 days.
The 2022 attacks
According to police and prosecutors, Livingston’s 2022 assaults began around noon on February 8 in the 700 block of South State when Livingston tugged on a 30-year-old woman’s backpack as she prepared to cross the street. Livingston allegedly punched the woman in the face when she turned around, causing her to fall to the ground.
A few minutes later, he punched a 25-year-old woman in the jaw as she smoked near Wabash and Van Buren, causing her headphones to fall to the ground, prosecutors and police said. He gave them back after she gave him her cigarette.
She called 911 and followed Livingston to Wabash and Jackson, where she saw Livingston reach into a 25-year-old woman’s coat pocket and then punch the victim in the face three times. The third victim fell to the ground, and Livingston allegedly walked away. DePaul University said in a public safety bulletin that the victim was a student at the school.
While the second victim stopped to help the third victim, Livingston pulled a hat off a 27-year-old woman’s head near Wabash and Monroe, then punched her in the neck and face when she yelled for him to give it back, according to prosecutors. He then allegedly spat on a 49-year-old woman who witnessed the incident. Cops arrested him a short time later.
Even more cases
Livingston has an even deeper history of similar incidents.
In 2017, he was accused of randomly attacking two women in separate attacks months apart, including a Columbia College student who was leaving school in the Loop, according to court records. Both cases were dropped.
The 20-year-old Columbia student told police she was leaving a school building as Livingston approached in the 1100 block of South Wabash on April 26, 2017, a CPD report said. She told officers she thought Livingston would walk past her, but he instead punched her in the face, the woman alleged.
While he was in the police station holding cell, Livingston grabbed a lock-up attendant by the chest and kicked him in the groin, police alleged. He was charged with simple battery for the attack.
According to court records, prosecutors dropped charges in the Columbia student attack 12 days later when she failed to appear in court. They also dropped charges in the lock-up incident.
A few months later, on December 16, 2017, Livingston allegedly punched a 29-year-old woman in the face, struck her in the stomach, and kicked her in the leg several times near the 95th Street Red Line station. The alleged attack reportedly came without warning and resulted in another misdemeanor battery charge. Prosecutors dropped the case ten months later, court records show.
Before they did, Livingston was arrested again in the Loop. This time, he allegedly went behind the security desk of an apartment building on the 1000 block of South State and stole two phones. Cops arrested him nearby. Officers alleged that he spat in one cop’s face before they took him in. He allegedly spat in another cop’s eye at the station. Livingston pleaded guilty to burglary and aggravated battery of a peace officer and received a sentence of 24 months of probation from Judge Michael McHale.
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