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A man accused of igniting a woman inside a Chicago commuter train has a criminal record spanning decades and was under court-ordered electronic surveillance for a separate battery case at the time of the alleged incident, prosecutors disclosed on Friday.
During the hearing, it emerged that 50-year-old Lawrence Reed has had extensive encounters with law enforcement over the past 30 years, as evidenced by various court records. On Friday, a judge decided that Reed should remain in custody while awaiting trial for a federal terrorism charge related to the train attack.
The incident on Monday evening on Chicago’s Blue Line L train has attracted nationwide attention, evoking memories of a similar random attack in August where a woman was fatally stabbed on a commuter train in Charlotte, North Carolina. In the Chicago case, authorities allege the victim was using her phone when Reed approached her from behind, poured gasoline on her, and set her on fire moments later.
Reed was apprehended by police the following morning, and federal prosecutors have charged him with a terrorist attack count, which could lead to a life sentence if convicted. The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois has indicated that should the victim succumb to her injuries, Reed might face the death penalty.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Bond highlighted Reed’s extensive criminal history during Friday’s detention hearing, noting that Reed has been entangled in the criminal justice system for 32 years, starting at the age of 18. His record includes 72 arrests, with eight felony and seven misdemeanor convictions.
Bond called Reed a “clear danger to the community” and said his criminal offenses have grown more serious over time.
“He has been given chance after chance after chance,” Bond said, arguing that Reed is “too dangerous for release.”
Information provided to the AP by the Cook County Circuit Court shows more than 60 criminal cases filed against Reed since 1993, ranging from traffic, trespassing and drug possession offenses to more serious charges involving violent behavior — including at least 15 battery and assault cases. At least two cases accused him of arson.
At the time of Monday’s attack, Reed was on electronic monitoring in an active charge of aggravated battery causing great bodily harm after authorities say he hit a hospital social worker in the face in August, causing a concussion and optic nerve bruising. Reed’s next court date for that case has been set for Dec. 4. A public defender representing Reed in that case did not immediately return a message Friday seeking comment.
The Cook County chief judge’s office declined to comment on the court’s decision in that case to release Reed on electronic monitoring, but did point to state law that limits strictly limits judges from denying defendants release ahead of their trials.
Reed currently has no attorney representing him in the federal case. U.S. Magistrate Judge Laura McNally offered Reed legal counsel during Friday’s detention hearing, noting that a public defender was present and able to jump in at any point. Reed insisted, ““I’m representing myself.”
Reed also agreed to being detained pending trial, saying he doesn’t “feel safe in society.”
“I’m a target from society,” he said. “I don’t feel safe out there. I think for my safety, it’s best for me to be detained.”
He repeatedly asked the judge if he would be given three meals a day while detained and begged her to “make sure I eat.”
Investigators have relied heavily on surveillance cameras to build their case, noting that cameras inside the train captured the attack on the woman and those on the train platform showed him walking away at a downtown stop. Cameras at a nearby gas station showed Reed filling a small container with gasoline just 30 minutes before the attack, a federal Alcohol, Tobacco, Fire and Explosives agent said in an affidavit.
The affidavit said Reed attempted to ignite the 26-year-old woman after he doused her with the gas, but she fought him off and ran from one end of the car to the other, with Reed chasing her before he managed to ignite the bottle he’d used to carry the gasoline and used it to set the woman on fire.
Officials have not released the victim’s name, and her family issued as statement Thursday night asking for privacy “as we focus our attention on her and her recovery.”
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Beck reported from Omaha, Nebraska.