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A 50-year-old man, currently under investigation for a shocking attack on a Chicago train where a woman was set ablaze, has a lengthy history of arrests and legal run-ins. According to reports, this individual was previously released by a judge after allegedly assaulting a social worker.
The man in question has accumulated 22 arrests since 2016 and has faced 53 criminal cases in Cook County stretching back to 1993. Notably, he has pleaded guilty to nine felonies, though only two of these resulted in jail time, as reported by CWB Chicago.
In a disturbing incident last August, he was charged with aggravated battery after reportedly knocking a female social worker unconscious at a psychiatric facility. Despite the severity of the allegations, a judge decided to release him under electronic monitoring, following the prosecutor’s request for detention, as detailed in court documents.
Under the terms of his release, the man was allowed to leave his home only between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. on weekdays. This decision is now under scrutiny following the recent attack aboard a Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) train, where the victim was set on fire, according to police reports.
A Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) train arrives at a station. A woman was set on fire Monday aboard a CTA train, police said. (Getty Images)
Neither the man nor the judge was publicly identified, as no charges have been filed yet in the train attack.
The person of interest was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon.
A Chicago Transit Authority train pulls into the Damen Ave. station on Aug. 12, 2024, in Chicago. (AP)
Police said a 26-year-old woman was riding a Chicago Transit Authority train around 9:25 p.m. Monday when she got into an argument with a man. The altercation turned physical, and the suspect poured a liquid on her and set it on fire.
A Chicago Transit Authority sign is seen in Chicago, on Oct. 14, 2022. (Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The suspect fled when the train stopped. The woman exited and collapsed on the platform. The flames were extinguished before first responders arrived.
She was hospitalized in critical condition with severe burns. No update on her condition was immediately available.