A severely injured female gas station clerk is recovering and will undergo surgery but has a “long road ahead” after authorities say a man enraged over a job application tried to murder her in Woodstock.
The Woodstock Police Department responded around 10:13 a.m. on December 31 to the Shell gas station, 110 North Eastwood Drive, for a report of a person who was attacked.
Woodstock Police Chief John Lieb said it was reported that the on-duty clerk was struck multiple times by an unknown suspect while inside the store.
Officers arrived and found the victim and immediately called for the Woodstock Fire/Rescue District.
The woman had suffered significant injuries after being attacked, Lieb said. Prosecutors said she suffered severe injuries to her face, ribs and arms.
Prosecutors say Austin Silverman, 29, of Woodstock, walked into the gas station and approached the clerk working behind the counter.
He inquired with the clerk for a job application but his request was denied.
Silverman became enraged and crossed the threshold behind the counter, prosecutors said.
A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court alleges Silverman “maliciously attacked” the clerk by punching her multiple times in the head and face.
He also kicked and stomped the victim numerous times during the attack and threw her into a wall, the complaint said.
The complaint said Silverman bashed the victim’s head into the wall numerous times and used a wooden club to beat her.
Silverman then pressed the wooden club against her neck and continued to strike the victim in the head with more punches, the complaint said.
Prosecutors said Silverman stopped the brutal attack and left the store. The clerk managed to get to her feet and lock the door.
Silverman then attempted to unsuccessfully blow up the gas station by extinguishing a cigarette into a gas pump, prosecutors said.
He returned to the store moments later and tried to come back inside. The complaint said that Silverman stated that he intended to kill the victim.
A McHenry woman, who is a close friend of the survivor, told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that the suspect was almost three times the victim’s size.
“But, she found the strength to lock that door and save her life. She will have a long road ahead of her,” the friend said.
The survivor, who has asked to have her identity withheld, has a severely blackened and bruised eye. Her vision and eyes are still intact.
She has a laceration to her eyebrow and severe swelling to her neck, behind her ears and even inside of her ears.
“Luckily, she has no eye damage and no known concussion. The swelling has gone down over her body but she’s covered in bruises,” the friend said.
Both of her legs are covered in severe bruises and are still swollen-looking.
Her left side is severely bruised and she has three broken ribs under that bruising.
Her right elbow is broken and in a sling as she awaits surgery, which doctors say is now more involved than expected.
The woman is still mentally processing what happened and taking it “day by day,” the friend said, adding that she is “incredibly strong.”
“Let’s give thought to the mental injuries of the whole ordeal. She went from just working day to day to her life changing,” the friend said.
The survivor’s friend said the woman has agreed with offers to let the community raise donations for her and a donation account is expected to be launched soon.
Officers quickly located Silverman after the attack and took him into custody without incident.
He is facing charges of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery in a public place and criminal damage to property.
Silverman was transported to the McHenry County Jail in Woodstock and appeared for an Initial Appearance Court hearing on Friday afternoon.
McHenry County Judge Cynthia Lamb granted a petition to detain filed by the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Lamb found that there were no conditions of release that the court could impose to keep the community safe based on his dangerousness.
“This was a brutal, heinous, and unprovoked attack on a defenseless woman. We are pleased that, after the hearing, our petition to detain this dangerous defendant was granted and that he will remain in custody pending the outcome of these charges,” McHenry County State’s Attorney Randi Freese said.
Silverman remains held in the McHenry County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court again on Wednesday.