A man who has been arrested 76 times since 2014 tried to sexually assault a disabled woman inside an elevator at the Roosevelt CTA station in March, prosecutors said Sunday. Marvin Bugg, 44, was identified as the CTA assailant after police arrested him in River North on Friday for allegedly touching a 13-year-old girl’s breasts while she was on a school field trip downtown.
The investigation into the second incident continues and prosecutors have not charged Bugg with any wrongdoing in that case.
Prosecutors said the CTA assault occurred just before 9 a.m. on March 12. A 32-year-old woman with cerebral palsy who uses an electric wheelchair was on her way to work when she encountered Bugg on an elevator from the Red Line platform to street level, prosecutors said.
After the doors closed, Bugg allegedly said the woman was pretty and touched her shoulder. The woman told him to get away.
Instead, Bugg used his left hand to tilt her head back. She then realized he was holding his penis in his other hand, prosecutors said. The woman tried to push away and Bugg stepped back, according to the allegations. CTA surveillance cameras recorded the incident.
Police arrested Bugg on the 700 block of North State at 11:02 a.m. Friday, according to a CPD spokesperson. Prosecutors said the arrest stemmed from allegations that Bugg touched the schoolgirl during a field trip, but they did not say when or where that alleged assault took place. The case remains under investigation.
Following his arrest, investigators included Bugg’s picture on a photo line-up and the CTA victim identified him as the man who assaulted her in the CTA elevator, prosecutors said.
Bugg is charged with attempted aggravated criminal sexual assault of a handicapped person. Judge Mary Marubio set his bail at $200,000, meaning he must post $20,000 to get out of jail on electronic monitoring.
His defense attorney said he has a variety of mental health diagnoses and no formal education.
According to prosecutors, his most recent felony conviction is a 2019 robbery for which he received a sentence of 18 months mental health probation. That robbery took place in the parking garage of the now-closed Bed Bath & Beyond, 530 North State, CPD records show.
Of the 76 times that Chicago police have arrested Bugg since 2014, 67 of the arrests took place in CPD’s Near North (18th) District, which includes River North, the Magnificent Mile, Streeterville, and the Gold Coast.
CPD records show that 25 of his 76 arrests were for primary allegations of retail theft, six were for other thefts, and 17 were for trespassing. Six of the arrests were for felony charges, the records show.
The court outcomes of those cases were not immediately available, but an assistant state’s attorney told Marubio on Sunday that Bugg has “numerous” misdemeanor convictions and three felony convictions.
He is due back in court on May 9.
