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| Miguel Morales (inset) and surveillance images of the suspect. | Cook County Sheriff; Chicago Police Dept |
Editor’s note: This report contains graphic language.
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A 27-year-old West Town man is in custody, charged with sexually abusing two female students near the Lane Tech High School campus last month. New details about the incident emerged in court yesterday and in just-acquired police records.
Police said Miguel Morales was arrested Monday after he was positively identified by the victims in a photo array. He was charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a child 13- to 17-years-old and two counts of indecent solicitation of a child. Judge John Lyke ordered him held without bail.
Around 7 a.m. on March 15, Morales approached two 15-year-old girls inside the McDonald’s restaurant at 2608 West Addison, across from Lane Tech, police said. One of the girls was short money to pay for her order. Morales gave her $5 to cover her purchase and then sat down at the victims’ table, according to prosecutors. After learning that both girls were 15, Morales allegedly made lewd comments and sexual offers to them.
“You got nice titties for a 15-year-old,” Morales allegedly said to one girl.
To the other, he allegedly said: “You got a fat ass for a 15-year-old” while caressing the second girl’s buttocks, according to police.
A police arrest report said Morales then offered the girls $200 to come with him to a motel and “sit on my face.”
While one girl went to the restroom, Morales grabbed the other girl’s arm and forced her to touch his exposed penis, prosecutors said. The girl pulled free, and both victims went to Lane Tech where they reported the incident.
Police said video of the incident was captured on McDonald’s surveillance system, but audio was not recorded. According to a police department source, McDonald’s management was able to provide Morales’ name to cops a couple of days after the incident.
In addition to being held without bail in the sexual abuse cases, Morales is being held on a $10,000 failure to appear bond in connection with a 2016 DUI case, according to court records.
