Elderly Man Dies After Beating

By Soyoung Kwak in News on Nov 27, 2010 5:10PM

World War II veteran Stanley Letkiewicz passed away the day before Thanksgiving from injuries sustained from a beating allegedly by a homeless person he tried to help. Letkiewicz befriended the homeless man last winter and as an act of kindness, Letkiewicz invited the man to stay in his basement in exchange for household chores and general company.

Although some of the people Letkiewicz knew warned him about letting a stranger live under his own roof, Letkiewicz wasn't too bothered by what they had to say:

Neighbor Francisco DelAngel called Letkiewicz "a good guy" whose selflessness may have blinded him to the danger of the situation. "I told Stanley, 'This guy's not right, he's bad news. You probably shouldn't have him living here,'" DelAngel said. But Letkiewicz insisted he could handle it. The stubbornness was characteristic of the World War II veteran, who served in the Army in campaigns in North Africa and Italy, according to his son, Raymond. "During the last few years, especially, if I told him he shouldn't do something, he would definitely go out and do it," his son said.

As time wore on, Letkiewicz was pushed around and attacked by the man after Letkiewicz failed to give the stranger the $100 he demanded. Letkiewicz ended the living arrangement in September and called the police to report the incident. In mid-October, Letkiewicz's neighbor found him beaten up and partially pressed under a dresser. Although the alleged attacker has been identified, no one is yet in custody.