GALESBURG, Illinois -- An elderly woman was found severely injured after a neighbor reported hearing groans coming from her apartment.
According to the Galesburg Police Department, a 72-year-old woman was found lying on her bathroom floor around 8:15 p.m. Saturday, October 20. Her eyes and mouth were badly swollen. She was injured so badly that she was unable to communicate with police.
Initially, police said they didn't know what happened to her. They responded to the scene after a neighbor reported hearing groaning coming from her apartment. The neighbor also reported not seeing her all day, which was described as unusual.
Once officers arrived to the scene, in the 1700 block of West Carl Sandburg Drive, they heard groaning and gurgling sounds coming from the back of the 72-year-old's apartment, police said. Police said she was severely injured and officers also found blood on the walls outside of the bathroom.
Captain Rod Riggs with the Galesburg Police Department said investigators still don't know how the woman was injured. In their investigation they found that nothing was out of the ordinary, in that her purse, money and prescriptions were all still in the apartment.
One of the woman's family members said they think she may have fallen and hurt herself. The blood on the wall may have been from the woman's dog, stepping in the blood and then jumping up on the wall.
The woman was taken to a nearby hospital for medical treatment before being transferred to Peoria. Her blood sugar was reportedly very low.
Police said there is no danger to the public.
