Mugging victim to leave HUP today

Lillian Blair, the 58-year-old University employee critically injured in a mugging outside of Graduate Tower A, may be released from the hospital today, according to a Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania spokesperson. "She's in good condition and good spirits," the spokesperson said yesterday. "We hope to see her home [today]." According to University Police, Blair, mother of two grown children, suffered a fractured skull and internal bleeding as a result of the mugging. The incident occurred at 11 p.m. Monday. For Blair, the incident began as she walked towards her car, which was parked one block from the graduate towers. "I had just put my Bible in the trunk of my car," she said. "The guy came from behind and snatched my purse. He couldn't get it off me, though, so he tried to pull it off as he ran. "That was when I lost my balance and hit my head, and that was when he got my pocketbook," she added. "I didn't pass out, though. My eyes aren't blurry. Really, now I just have a bad headache." Blair added that she never saw her attacker's face. "I only saw his back," she said. "He never even said anything to me. Another guy told me that he saw the guy take my bag and chased him. He was the one who gave the police the description of the guy." And although she has worked at the University since 1982, she said "this is the first time that anything has ever happened to me." Blair added that she intends to return to work as soon as she recovers. "I want to be transferred to day work -- I'm too old for this," she said. Blair also said the most lingering effect of the incident is fear. "The police said that this guy had been watching me for a while and knew my routine," she added. "I'm real scared."