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A Vietnam veteran was fatally punched by teenagers before they stole his 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe and crashed it after a short chase with police.
Ernie Ammon, 81, was delivering pizzas in Chicago's Jefferson Park neighborhood last Wednesday night when he was ambushed by a group of teenagers.
“He said, 'Give me the keys' and punched me hard from behind, hitting me in the face. I was scared for my life,” Ernie Ammon told ABC 7 Chicago. “I had a daughter and a son. I have to live for them.”
He said that he did not fight anything. When the teenagers took away his cell phone and car, he lay face down on the road.
Several hours later, police spotted Ernie's Hyundai on the expressway. After a brief altercation the suspect crashed the Hyundai.
Ernie was a pizza delivery driver for Joe's on Higgins for the past 40 years and most customers asked him to deliver their pies.
Ernie Ammon is a well-known figure in the community. Everyone loves him and describes him as “family”.
A GoFundMe was set up to pay for the car's repairs or purchase of a new car so Ernie's can resume delivering pizza.
“Although he has become a local legend, he has been going through a tough time recently. Just a few nights earlier, Ernie was carjacked by several men who stole his phone, took his car for fun, and caused extensive damage to the vehicle.' The GoFundMe, which was set up by the Gladstone Park Chamber of Commerce, said.
Only one teenager has been arrested so far.
More on this story from ABC 7 Chicago: