5 charged in attempted robbery, stabbing on CTA Red Line train near North and Clybourn station
CHICAGO (CBS) – Five people are charged after attempting to rob a man on the CTA Red Line train Friday morning.
Shawn Gullens, 20, Latoya Thomas, 22, Martinez Owens, 24, and Larone Williams, 36 are all charged with one felony count of armed robbery with a dangerous weapon and one felony count of aggravated battery to a transit employee.
Vernon Holman, 52, is charged with one felony count of armed robbery and one felony count of battery with the use of a deadly weapon.
The five offenders were arrested on Friday, in the 1500 block of North Clybourn Avenue, after being identified as the offenders who stabbed a man, 42, with a knife on the CTA Red Line train.
Police Supt. David Brown said a 43-year-old man got on a Red Line train at the Addison Street station near Wrigley Field. While on the train, three people tried to take his cellphone and attacked him.
At that point, the victim pulled out his own knife and stabbed one attacker in the back, Brown said.
While the train was stopped at the North/Clybourn station, three attackers left the train – while a fourth got on and also attacked the victim, Brown said. The victim stabbed that fourth attacker in the neck and fled the train, Brown said.
While fleeing the train, the fourth attacker stabbed the victim in the collarbone.
The victim was then chased around the platform and through train cars at the North/Clybourn station by six people, Brown said.
"It went from three offenders to four offenders to six offenders," Brown said.
During this phase of the attack, the victim was hit in the head with a broken glass bottle and some other objects by two of the six people -- while one of the attackers suffered a cut to his arm.
The victim was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in serious condition with multiple stab wounds and lacerations.
The men appeared in bond court Sunday and were granted the following bonds: Thomas was granted $50,000, Holman was granted $250,000, Gullens was granted $75,000, Williams was granted $100,000 and Owensn was granted $75,000 bond.
CTA in a statement:
"We are pleased to see charges filed in this case, and thank the Chicago Police Department for its quick response to this incident. Violence on CTA is completely unacceptable, and those who are responsible will be held accountable. CTA will work closely with prosecutors to ensure the strongest charges possible for these alleged offenders."
