A 72-year-old man was repeatedly kicked and stomped during a robbery on the Clark-Lake Blue Line platform while other passengers looked on, prosecutors said during a bond court hearing for the alleged attacker Monday.
The victim was on the platform around 11:47 p.m. Friday when an offender ordered him to hand over his phone, Assistant State’s Attorney Loukas Kalliantasis said. When the victim refused and walked away, the robber followed him and kicked his legs, which caused the victim to fall to the platform.
Kalliantasis said the attacker, identified as 34-year-old Cane Jones, repeatedly stomped on the victim’s chest and yelled at other CTA customers who were on the platform. Jones kicked the fallen senior repeatedly, then went through the victim’s pockets to get his phone, according to Kalliantasis.
After getting the phone, Jones stomped on the man’s head and fled, Kalliantasis said. EMS took the victim to Northwestern Memorial Hospital for treatment.
CTA surveillance cameras recorded the entire attack. A transit worker called the victim’s phone, and it rang in a milk crate that Jones was holding during the incident, Kalliantasis said.
Police spotted Jones at the Clark-Lake station about 90 minutes after the attack and took him into custody.
Prosecutors charged him with robbery, aggravated battery of a senior citizen, and unlawful restraint. Kalliantasis said Jones was convicted of burglary in Florida last year and has amassed 15 misdemeanor convictions in Illinois, Ohio, and Florida.
Assistant Public Defender Suzin Farber said Jones has four children.
Judge David Navarro set bail at $250,000. Jones must post 10% of that amount to get out of jail before trial.
The Clark-Lake robbery was one of several violent muggings on the CTA’s downtown train system over the weekend.