A black male offender snatched a woman’s cell phone and ran down the platform, said police.
Initially, investigators thought the suspect exited the station. Subsequent information led police to believe the mugger was still lurking in the subway.
The crook has bushy eyebrows and is approximately 5’8”. He was last seen wearing a blue Hollister sweatshirt.
Police are investigating.
If the CTA is going to run these trains 24/7, than THEY need to hire security 24/7. They provide the service and THEY should provide the security! I would gladly pay extra just to be able to ride the trains. I do not take the train for anything. I would rather leave much earlier and take the bus than put myself in harms way. It's like the CTA trains have become "the money train" TAKE THE FRICKING MONEY BEING USED TO RENOVATE THOSE BUSINESSES AND HIRE SECURITY. I could care less about those businesses anyway.
ReplyDeleteWhen the crime started to spike on the CTA trains in the 80's, the thieves used to target the South Side "L" stops. Then, they slowly made their way downtown - usually striking in the wee hours of the morning. Today, CTA rail crimes are ubiquitous. No matter what colored Line you ride, you need to watch your back.
ReplyDeleteI have some bad memories of the subway robberies in the 80s. There were some actually skilled pickpockets, but the ones who scared me were the razorblade users--they'd slash your back pocket or purse open to get the wallet and run. They would also use the razor to cut anyone who tried to stop them.
ReplyDeleteAlso, remember the smash and grab robberies in the Loop and on the near west side? A woman would be in her car at a stop light and the assailant smashed the passenger window with a hammer and grabbed her purse. Makes today's smartphone grabbers seem like boy scouts in comparison.
Anonymous said: "I have some bad memories of the subway robberies in the 80s. There were some actually skilled pickpockets, but the ones who scared me were the razorblade users--they'd slash your back pocket or purse open to get the wallet and run. They would also use the razor to cut anyone who tried to stop them."
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, I remember the razor blade bunch, too! The ringleader was a tall, stocky, middle-age black man with a round, usually clean shaven face and a small Afro.
He, and about 10 others, would board the CTA trains and literally surround their victims.
Scary, Timothy--I didn't know it was an actual group of thieves! I remember reading in the news that they sliced a woman's purse strap on the morning train and then the face of a young man who tried to rescue her. Remember all the chain snatchings back when there were still the old elevated cars with opened windows? One of my coworkers came in with horrible scratch marks on her neck from a snatcher's filthy fingernails. She had to get a tetanus shot. Ah, the good old days! At least the newspapers actually covered crime back then. Now, we have to depend on you and other citizens.
ReplyDeleteAnonynous said: "Remember all the chain snatchings back when there were still the old elevated cars with opened windows?"
ReplyDeleteI once saw a man leave a very small child on the train, alone, while he chased someone who snatched his necklace. When the train's doors closed and it pulled away from the station, the child began to cry hysterically.
Luckily, someone pulled the emergency cord and the train came to a stop. When the so-called victim came back to claim the child, I wanted to slap the hell out of him for being so stupid.