Inset: D'Angelo Groce (Cook County Sheriff's Office). Background: The intersection where a road rage incident occurred in Oak Lawn, Ill. (Google Maps).
An Illinois man is behind bars for a road rage incident that left a septuagenarian with dementia severely beaten, injured, and afraid for his life, according to law enforcement in the Land of Lincoln.
D'Angelo Groce, 41, stands accused of two counts of aggravated battery, according to the Oak Lawn Police Department.
The underlying incident occurred in late November, at an intersection near a gas station in Oak Lawn – a medium-sized suburb of Chicago.
On the day in question, Joseph and Deborah, who asked that their last names not be used, were just trying to get into the right turning lane.
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As the couple maneuvered their vehicle, however, a truck shot out from a nearby gas station and cut them off, according to reports by CBS News and Chicago-based radio station WBBM.
The woman then sprung into action; addressing the driver of the other car – who is alleged to have been Groce.
"When I tried to get over, he sped up and plowed into me," Deborah told the local outlet. "I got out of the car and said, 'What the hell, dude?' He didn't say a word. He came up to me and pushed me. I went backwards, and when I went backwards, I landed on my elbows. My glasses went flying backwards. I lost my phone on Cicero Avenue."
But that incident allegedly did not end things.
Joseph, who is 73 years old and was diagnosed with dementia three years ago, got up to try to help his wife.
At that point, Groce allegedly punched the man and knocked him to the ground.
Deborah recalled a harrowing soundtrack accompanying the alleged violence. She said she heard Groce telling her husband: "Get up again, mf–er, and I'm going to finish you," as Joseph struggled to get up.
"I was so upset," the wife continued. "I was crying. I was saying, 'Stop it. Stop hitting him!'"
Witnesses at the scene called police and Groce was arrested.
Ultimately, Joseph suffered a broken nose, broken jaw, two broken teeth, and scrapes on both hands, the couple said.
"I thought he was going to kill him," Deborah told CBS News.
The man's wife went on to document how costly the violent episode was – particularly in light of the holiday season – and said the car repairs alone cost in excess of $2,000.
"We have no dental insurance," she said. "It's like $7,000 we had to pay to get his surgery done."
Deborah said the pain caused to Joseph was heartbreaking.
"He's going through enough, and to go through this much pain that he's been through, it's just totally unnecessary," she added.
Groce has a lengthy list of prior run-ins with law enforcement, according to CBS News.
The defendant was previously convicted of burglary in 2010; he was convicted of domestic violence in 2012; he was convicted of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault with a motor vehicle in 2020.
In the present case, Groce is being detained in the Cook County Jail without bond, sheriff's office records show.
The defendant is next slated to appear in court on Dec. 19.