Man charged in 'horrific' unprovoked assault on 81-year-old German tourist in Downtown Detroit: prosecutor

DETROIT (WWJ) -- A Detroit man is facing charges after authorities say he walked up to and, for no reason, punched a tourist who was visiting the city from Germany.

The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office on Tuesday announced its case against 30-year-old Lawrence Deonte Gilchrist, in connection with the alleged assault in the downtown area over the weekend.

At around 10:15 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7, prosecutors say an 81-year-old man from Bremen, Germany, was in the 1000 block of Woodward -- just north of Campus Martius Park -- when Gilchrist approached.

It's alleged that Gilchrist then hit the older man, "without provocation," causing him to fall and injure his head.

Police responded to find the victim injured on the ground. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment for a head injury.

Gilchrist has since been charged with Assault with Intent to do Great Bodily Harm and Aggravated Assault.

“A lot of work has gone into making our city a welcoming beacon to all, only to have the alleged horrific actions of this defendant deeply tarnish these efforts," said Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, in a statement. "But much more importantly, 81-year-old Dieter Kirschmust pay the undeserved price of what the defendant decided to do. This is heartbreaking on so many levels."

Gilchrist was arraigned Tuesday morning in 36th District Court and given a $50,000 cash/surety bond with a GPS tether. A bond re-determination hearing is scheduled for Thursday to be followed by a Probable Cause Conference set for Sept. 17.