" ... he's the ice-cream man."

By Erin in News on Aug 14, 2006 5:23PM

Chicagoist can think of several things that, for the most part, are considered sacred cows - those things/places/people that even the worst element of society know better than to mess with or bother.

Score one sadly up for the worst element.

According to the Trib today, Hector Jimenez, an ice cream man in the city's Lawndale neighborhood, was shot Saturday while stopping off at a block full of three-flat homes as was his habit. Neighbors say he was shot in an attempted robbery, right in the abdomen.

Who does this? Seriously. We're not advocating that anyone should fall victim to such a horrific fate, but it takes a certain brand of asshole to rob and shoot the ice cream man. Even moreso, to shoot an ice cream man who was known for handing out free ice cream to kids in the neighborhood, whether they had the coin or not. In fact, during the heat wave last week, Jimenez apparently handed out ice cream to everyone in the neighborhood.

One resident who spoke to the Trib said it best: "You would have never thought that his life was in danger," said Josie Smith, who lives on the block. "I mean, he's the ice-cream man."

Image from existentialblu