Surveillance Images Released Of Orange Line Robbery Suspects
UPDATE: Police on Thursday night released new, close-up surveillance images of the two suspects they are seeking.
CHICAGO (CBS) --Police are searching for two men accused of storming a CTA Orange Line train and robbing passengers at gunpoint Wednesday afternoon. They released several stills from surveillance cameras of the alleged robbers.
The train was traveling between the Halsted and Roosevelt stop when the robbers pulled out at least one gun and announced the robbery to passengers at 4:15 p.m., police said.
Police say the men robbed multiple people, at least eight, including one woman on the platform, before taking off on foot.
The bold attack on the well-used line has rattled some riders.
"I feel like maybe there should be more security now ... especially with all the phones people carry now," said one rider. "It's just really dangerous."
According to a CTA spokesman, a passenger alerted CTA personnel at the Roosevelt station and the train was held at the Harold Washington Library station.
Police said the suspects got away with cash and various items, including cell phones. No shots were fired during the robbery.
Podcast
Thursday morning, members of the Guardian Angels were passing out flyers with images of the suspects to Orange Line riders.
The Guardian Angels said at least one victim was pistol-whipped during the robbery.
Guardian Angels leader Miguel Fuentes said the robbery was especially brazen, given the two men robbed an entire train car at one time.
"There's been times where they've held up a train, but not at gunpoint; more like menacing," he said. "You know, got a few individuals on the train, they take whatever they want, then they jump off the train. There's also been times where they rob you and throw you off the train, and they stay on the train."
He also said it was unusual for such a robbery to happen during the busy afternoon rush, and so close to downtown.
"You would expect some of these attacks to happen in the outskirts of the train systems, late at night, when there's hardly no activity, so that maybe you'll be able to get one or two cell phones, or one or two wallets, but to do it at 4 in the afternoon on a train coming in from Midway Airport into the hub of Chicago … they have no respect for anybody, and if we don't catch them, and we don't turn them in, they're going to do it again," he said.
Fuentes said the Guardian Angels were helping keep watch along the Orange Line after the robbery.
