At least three CTA passengers were walloped with a baseball bat, sprayed with mace, or both Sunday night by a pair of offenders who unleashed a series of attacks on the Red Line between downtown and Howard Street. Several other passengers reported being threatened by the pair. No arrests have been made as of 2 a.m. Monday.
Around 6:50 p.m., a female attacker struck a 27-year-old woman in the back of the head with a baseball bat as they rode the Red Line northbound at Morse, according to Officer Hector Alfaro, a CPD spokesperson. A male accomplice then tried to take the victim’s phone and valuables. When the victim refused to cooperate, the male offender sprayed her in the eyes with pepper spray, according to Alfaro.
The woman got off the train and called police.
Around the same time, a man reported being attacked and robbed by a man and woman on the Red Line near Berwyn. The victim said the male offender pulled out a knife and demanded his wallet. When the victim didn’t hand it over, the woman pepper-sprayed him and took his watch.
He got off the train and the offenders continued riding northbound.
Then, around 10:45 p.m., the duo robbed another man on the Red Line near Belmont. That victim said he was riding the train southbound when the woman pepper-sprayed him and the man displayed a metal bat as they robbed him of his phone.
Throughout the evening and into Monday morning, several callers reported seeing a man and woman matching the robbers’ descriptions threatening Red Line passengers with a bat and mace near stations at Chicago-State, Clark-Division, and Howard.
So far, the duo has eluded police.
The woman is Black, in her mid- to late teens, and was seen wearing a long red winter coat with red or pink shoes. The man is in the same age range and wore dark winter clothes with a red hoodie underneath.
Area Three detectives are investigating.
