A man and woman who allegedly beat and robbed two separate victims at the Belmont CTA station in Lakeview on Wednesday morning told police they were too intoxicated to remember what happened, prosecutors said. Eva Watts, 20, and Sean Harris, 24, were in a group of five people that punched, kicked, and knocked a 46-year-old man to the ground outside the station, 945 West Belmont, around 4:05 a.m., according to Assistant State’s Attorney Sean Kelly.
Harris allegedly went through the victim’s pockets, taking a money clip, cash, and credit cards, as well as the man’s brown satchel. Police later found the victim’s property in Harris’ possession, Kelly continued.
A woman standing just five or ten feet away from the attack called 911 and later identified Harris and Watts as two of the perpetrators.
About ten minutes after the robbery, Harris and an unidentified man allegedly attacked a 49-year-old man upstairs on the station’s Red Line platform. The offenders repeatedly punched the man in his face and body and took his cash, credit cards, Ventra card, and bookbag. While Harris and the other man started gathering the man’s valuables, Watts joined in to punch the victim in the face and body, too, Kelly said.
After the robbery, the second victim went downstairs and noticed that Harris and Watts had been taken into custody by the police. He approached officers, explained what had occurred, and identified them as two of the assailants. Harris was allegedly carrying some of the victim’s stolen property.
CTA’s security cameras recorded both robberies.
Watts and Harris both identified themselves in images from the surveillance footage, but they both claimed that they could not remember what happened because they were too intoxicated, Kelly said.
EMS took the first victim to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in good condition with minor injuries. Kelly said the second victim was taken to Swedish Covenant Hospital for head trauma, soreness, and bruising. He was released the same day.
Harris and Watts are both charged with two counts of robbery and two counts of aggravated battery in a public place. Watts is also charged with one count of aggravated battery of a peace officer because she allegedly bit and kicked one of the cops.
Judge Susana Ortiz set bail for Watts at $75,000 and for Harris at $60,000. They must post 10% of those amounts to go home on electronic monitoring.
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