A Morgan Park man faces felony charges for robbery and theft involving two victims on Red Line trains after someone recognized him in a Chicago police “seeking to identify” bulletin, prosecutors said Saturday.
Donvon McClary, 18, is charged with felony counts of robbery, aggravated battery of a transit passenger, and theft. Judge Barbara Dawkins said he would be released on electronic monitoring if he makes a $5,000 deposit toward his bail.
The theft charge stems from an incident on a northbound Red Line train at Lake Street around 8 p.m. on April 21.
An 18-year-old man was sitting near the door when two men walked through the train and stepped out onto the platform. One of the men the opened the door, grabbed the victim’s phone, and ran.
Then, at 2:07 p.m. on April 25, a man grabbed a 22-year-old man’s phone on a northbound Red Line train at Cermak. The victim covered his face and head as the robber punched him repeatedly and then pulled him out of his seat.
The two men fell out of the train car, and the robber followed the victim onto another car where the attack continued. He eventually fled with the man’s phone.
Doctors used three stitches to close a cut on the victim’s lip.
Assistant State’s Attorney Christopher Cromydas said the offenders in those crimes wore the same clothing.
Police released surveillance images of the Cermak assailant on April 27 and asked the public to help identify him.
On May 2, someone reportedly told police they recognized the robber as a high school student they know: Donvon McClary.
Cromydas said detectives obtained the school’s April 25 surveillance footage and discovered McClary wore the same clothes to school that the robber wore that afternoon.
Police arrested McClary on Friday. Cromydas said he has no adult background.
McClary’s public defender said he attends high school, coaches basketball, volunteers at the YMCA, and works as a YouTube producer part-time.
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