A West Side man has been charged with two recent robberies on the CTA train system after his mother recognized him in a publicity bulletin and tipped off Chicago police. Trequan Jackson Young, 18, is charged with armed robbery, aggravated robbery, and misdemeanor criminal damage to property stemming from three separate incidents along the Red Line since June 6.
The first robbery occurred on a Red Line train near 47th Street around 2:26 a.m. on June 6. Prosecutors said a 23-year-old man was riding home when four men, including Young, stood near him and one of the men asked to use his vape cigarette. The victim obliged, but the man refused to return the vape, and the entire group closed in on the victim when he asked for it.
All four offenders began beating the victim in the face and patting him down for valuables, Steven Haamid, an assistant state’s attorney, said. One of the robbers took the victim’s wallet. The group continued to beat the man in the face as they tried to wrestle away his fanny pack, but the man refused to give it up.
Haamid said the victim, who was bleeding from his face, hit the train’s emergency button and went to the conductor for help. While the victim waited on the platform, one of the offenders returned and lunged at him repeatedly with a knife, but the victim evaded the attack and was not stabbed, according to Haamid.
Chicago police released surveillance images of the robbery suspects to the media on June 7. Haamid said Young was seen in the photos wearing a black jacket with white sleeves and a camouflage hoodie. Young’s mother recognized him and notified the police, according to Haamid.
Before police caught up with Young, he was allegedly involved in another robbery at the Roosevelt station on Saturday afternoon.
Haamid said two men approached a victim they recognized near the turnstiles and began punching and pushing him until his bag fell to the ground. One of the men picked up the bag, went through it, and tossed it to the second man as Young stood nearby, according to Haamid.
The victim walked toward Young, but Young reached toward his chest and said something to the effect of “just try it,” Haamid continued. Young then left the station with the other two men, according to Haamid.
Young was arrested Tuesday at the Jackson Red Line station after he took his girlfriend’s phone and refused to give it back, prompting her to pull out a knife and demand its return, according to a CPD report. Instead, Young allegedly threw the phone onto the platform, shattering the device. A federal law enforcement officer saw the incident and detained Young until Chicago police arrived, the police report said.
Assistant Public Defender Patrick Shine said Young lives with his family and has a child on the way.
“And,” Shine told Judge Barbara Dawkins, “I can also assure you that his mother will be bringing him back to court.”
Dawkins set bail at $80,000. Young must post 10% of that to go home on electronic monitoring.
At the time of these alleged incidents, Young was free on a recognizance bond for a pending misdemeanor weapons charge. In that case, he was accused of carrying a Tazer in his backpack at the Jackson Red Line station on May 21. Prosecutors dropped the charge during a separate court hearing on Wednesday, according to court records.
Would you please support CWBChicago’s reporting efforts with a contribution or subscription?
