CHICAGO — A man who allegedly followed a woman as she walked home from a West Loop bar, dragged her into a construction site, and beat her earlier in May 2021 has been handed a five-year sentence.
Darquan Massey, 26, pleaded guilty to kidnapping by force or threat in exchange for the sentence from Judge Mariano Reyna on Wednesday, according to court records.
Authorities never provided a motive for the attack, which police described as an attempted criminal sexual assault in a community alert before Massey was arrested. Prosecutors never lodged sex crime allegations against him.
Around midnight on May 8, 2021, the 28-year-old victim decided to walk home after drinking with a friend. She later told police that she noticed a man sitting in a car near a stop sign and then realized he had begun following her on foot and even crossed the street when she did.
The man caught up with her and grabbed her from behind until she screamed and ran away. But he chased the woman, dragged her into a construction site in the 400 block of North Morgan, and threw her to the ground while threatening to kill her, officials said.
The attacker pinned the woman to the ground behind a bulldozer and put his hands on her mouth to muffle her screams. According to prosecutors, when the woman bit the offender’s hand, he punched her in the face three times while hovering over her.
Eventually, the woman freed herself, and the attacker ran from the construction site. She flagged down a passing motorist, who allowed her into their car to call 911. The driver then followed the suspect’s car and made note of its make, model, and license plate number.
All of the events, except what happened at the construction site, were allegedly captured on a series of surveillance cameras.
Police included a picture of Massey in a photo line-up based on the license plate number the driver provided. Prosecutors said the victim identified him as the attacker, and cops placed him into custody.
Prosecutors dropped three felonies, including two counts of aggravated battery, in Massey’s plea deal.