A five-time convicted felon who was released early from prison less than three months ago violently attacked two women in separate robberies on the CTA train system this weekend, prosecutors said. According to the allegations, one woman was knocked unconscious, and he dragged the other down a flight of stairs by her leg, leaving her with two black eyes.
Police arrested Demon Robinson, 30, after he allegedly attacked the second woman in the Loop on Sunday afternoon. Judge David Navarro ordered him held without bail on two counts of robbery.
Around 2:50 a.m. on Saturday, a woman was returning home from work when Robinson followed her from a Blue Line train at the Racine station and punched her in the head from behind on a staircase, Assistant State’s Attorney Kevin Meehan said Monday.
The woman’s head struck a handrail as she fell, knocking her unconscious, Meehan said. Robinson allegedly punched the fallen woman two more times in her face and stole her purse. Meehan said CTA surveillance cameras recorded the entire incident.
When the woman regained consciousness, she flagged down a passing CPD unit for help. Chicago police released a picture of the suspect in a community alert Saturday afternoon. But Robinson was on the prowl again on Sunday morning, according to the accusations.
At 11:20 a.m., he followed a woman up the stairs at the LaSalle Blue Line station in the Loop and struck her in the back of the head, Meehan said. When she turned around, Robinson punched her in the face, grabbed her leg, and pulled her down the stairs, Meehan continued.
Then, he allegedly took her phone and ran out of the station. Cops found him walking nearby with the victim’s phone in his hand, Meehan said. Both victims allegedly identified him as the man who attacked and robbed them.
Both victims were treated at local hospitals for injuries suffered in the attacks.
Illinois Department of Corrections records show Robinson was paroled on January 27 after serving half of two concurrent ten-year terms he received for robberies in 2015. He was sentenced to two concurrent five-year terms for two more robberies in 2012 and received three years for a robbery in 2009.
