Chicago suspect accused of setting homeless man on fire because he was an ‘angry person’

An “angry person” allegedly poured gasoline on a well-known, 75-year-old homeless Chicago man and set him on fire last week, prosecutors said in court Monday.

Joseph Guardia, 27, has been charged with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated arson in the May 25 burning on Joseph Kromelis, an attack for which lawyers have no answers or explanation.

“It takes a special kind of evil to do what the defendant did,” Assistant State’s Attorney Danny Hanichak said in court as Guardia was denied bail, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Joseph Guardia

Prosecutors said Monday that video surveillance allegedly shows Guardia approach the sleeping Kromelis, holding a McDonald’s cup, stare at him for 16 seconds, walk away and then return and pour the gasoline on top of the man’s and lit him on fire.

Kromelis, known around town as Walking Man or Walking Dude, awoke on fire and tried to put out the blaze before two nearby security guards rushed over three minutes later, Hanichak said.

He remains sedated at the hospital and is not expected to survive.

Guardia was arrested Friday after a resident recognized him from photos put out by police. In recorded statements, he allegedly admitted to setting the fire but denied that he knew anyone was under the pile of blankets.

“This defendant did not target someone he had an argument with, someone who wronged him or someone that he even knew,” Hanichak said. “This defendant decided to target the most vulnerable person possible, a 75-year-old homeless man sleeping on the street.”