Dog-Stabbing Suspect's Photo Released By Evanston Police

EVANSTON, IL — Police released a photo Saturday of a man suspected of stabbing an elderly couple's dog a week earlier in downtown Evanston. Police said at 12:12 p.m. on Nov. 23, the couple was walking their dog in the 800 block of Church Street when a man they had never met walked up to them and asked to pet their dog.

As the man bent down to pet the animal, he pulled out a knife and stabbed the dog in the leg before running away. The dog was taken to an animal hospital and is expected to recover from its injuries, according to police.

The suspect's face is not visible in the image released by police, captured from cameras in a nearby bank, but it offers a clear look at his clothing – an olive green jacket, blue shirt with dark-colored pants and a black hat. He was described as 40 to 50 years old, about 6 feet tall, between 180 and 190 pounds and black with a salt and pepper beard.

A family member of the couple whose dog was attacked described the attacker as "clearly mentally unstable." The man used a 4-inch blade to stab their springer spaniel, according to WGN-TV. Evanston police asked anyone who recognizes the person in the image by their clothing to contact their detective bureau at 847-866-5040.

Earlier: Man Stabs Dog In Downtown Evanston »