A Pennsylvania newlywed is in critical condition after he was viciously attacked from behind at a downtown Pittsburgh hotel on the first day of his honeymoon.
Larry Gilmore was found in a pool of blood with his pants ripped off near the elevators in the fifth-floor lobby of the Even Hotel on Forbes Avenue around 7 p.m. Monday, Channel 11 reported.
The father of three was staying at the hotel for his honeymoon following his wedding on Sunday, Gilmore’s wife, Shalawrae, told the outlet.
“I walked over to see what was going on and I found him in a puddle of blood,” she recalled of the horrifying moment she learned of her new husband’s injuries.
Gilmore was subsequently taken to UPMC Mercy Hospital, where he remains in critical condition with a head injury, TribLive.com reported.
“Right now, he’s still in critical but stable condition. He’s intubated still and we’re hoping he can pull through,’ Shalawrae, who is pregnant, told KDKA.
The suspect, Haiko-Lamar Joseph Calhoun, 26, was arrested on Smithfield Street shortly after the alleged attack, TribLive.com said, citing court records.
Video surveillance from inside the hotel shows Calhoun walk up behind Gilmore near the elevators and put him in a chokehold, the documents continue.
Officers say that Calhoun then slammed Gilmore’s head into the ground several times and kicked and stomped on him while taking multiple items, including his pants.
Calhoun reportedly walked away and came back several times during the beating.
“He just came in behind him actually snuck behind him and choked him out,” Shalawrae told Channel 11.
Calhoun told police that Gilmore said something offensive to him that caused the altercation, the outlet said.
As of Thursday, the alleged attacker – who was unhoused at the time of his arrest – remains at the Allegheny County Jail on charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault, robbery and recklessly endangering another person.
Earlier this week, members of Gilmore’s family also protested outside the Even Hotel to demand that it close while security measures are evaluated.
“I haven’t ate, I haven’t slept…This is taken a hard toll on me,” Shalawrae told KDKA.
“I went them to shut it down until they can ensure their customers’ safety because there’s no way someone was able to walk in behind him, sneak behind him and attack him,” she said of the hotel.
The hotel’s second set of ground-level doors are locked from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. each day, and are only accessible by guest key, staff explained to the outlet.
“Our thoughts are with this guest and their family during this difficult time,” the hotel said in a statement.
“We appreciate the swift actions by our hotel staff, the Pittsburgh police department and local EMT’s who rendered aid to our guest. We will continue to cooperate with local authorities in their investigation, and any additional questions on this matter, can be directed to the Pittsburgh police department.”
Gilmore’s loved ones are raising money for his recovery on GoFundMe. As of Thursday morning, the fund had over $3,000 of its $10,000 goal.