A man in his 50s, currently under investigation for a shocking incident on a Chicago train where a woman was set ablaze, has a lengthy criminal history, according to recent reports. This individual was previously released by a judge despite accusations of assaulting a social worker.
The suspect has amassed 22 arrests since 2016, alongside 53 criminal cases in Cook County dating back to 1993. Of these, nine felonies resulted in guilty pleas, though only two led to incarceration, as reported by CWB Chicago.
In a recent case from August, the man was charged with aggravated battery after allegedly rendering a female social worker unconscious at a psychiatric facility, the report indicated.
Prosecutors had sought to keep him in custody, but a judge opted for electronic monitoring instead, allowing him to leave his residence between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. on weekdays, according to court records cited by the outlet.
On Monday, a woman was horrifically set on fire aboard a Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) train, police reported. The identities of the man and the judge involved remain undisclosed, as formal charges in the train incident have not yet been filed.
Neither the man nor the judge was publicly identified, as no charges have been filed yet in the train attack.
The person of interest was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon.
A Chicago Transit Authority train pulls into the Damen Ave. station on Aug. 12, 2024, in Chicago. (AP)
Police said a 26-year-old woman was riding a Chicago Transit Authority train around 9:25 p.m. Monday when she got into an argument with a man. The altercation turned physical, and the suspect poured a liquid on her and set it on fire.
A Chicago Transit Authority sign is seen in Chicago, on Oct. 14, 2022. (Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The suspect fled when the train stopped. The woman exited and collapsed on the platform. The flames were extinguished before first responders arrived.
She was hospitalized in critical condition with severe burns. No update on her condition was immediately available.
