A couple of months ago, we reported on Chicago’s dirty little secret: Robberies were out of control in the Loop, we told you. Well, a new year is here, and the story of the Loop is not any better: Through February 7, robberies in the central business district are up 83% this year compared to last year. They’re up 131% compared to the same period in 2013.
We’re going to have much more on the changing face of life in the Loop later tonight. For now, a couple of the latest downtown robbery cases…
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| Issiah Thompson (inset) is charged with robbing a suburban man near Union Station. | Yelp; Chicago Police Dept |
• Prosecutors say Issiah Thompson, 20, of Springfield is responsible for battering and mugging a 53-year-old Buffalo Grove man as the victim walked from work to Union Station early Thursday evening. The victim was in the 500 block of West Monroe about 5 p.m. when Thompson tried to trip him, then punched him in the face and took his iPhone, according to court records.
Minutes later, Chicago cops, the victim, and Amtrak Police located Thompson inside Union Station. He is charged with robbery and two counts of resisting police. The victim suffered a cut to his ear, redness, and swelling, according to police.
Bail for Thompson was set at $30,000. Information about the presiding judge was not immediately available.
• Two men armed with a knife robbed a woman on a Blue Line train as it approached the Monroe station, 114 South Dearborn, on Saturday afternoon. The offenders exited at Monroe and fled southbound on Dearborn, according to witnesses. They were described as two black men in their mid-20’s. One wore a black jacket with white lettering and had curly hair. He’s the one who had the knife, according to the victim. The second man wore a black mask and a black jacket.
