Man charged with trying to kidnap woman in West Loop, attacking two other women in South Loop
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A man has been charged with trying to kidnap a woman in the West Loop neighborhood on Sunday, and with attacking two other women the same day in the South Loop.
Quavon Ewing, 32, is charged with one count of attempted kidnapping by force or threat of force, and two counts of aggravated battery in a public place.
At Ewing's bond hearing Wednesday afternoon, prosecutors revealed he is a convicted sex offender who carried out those attacks just a day after appearing in court for failing to register as a sex offender, and was released on bond.
Police said he was identified as the man who tried to kidnap a 45-year-old woman and pull her into a maroon minivan on Sunday near Sangamon and Adams streets.
He's also accused of attacking two other women on Sunday: a 36-year-old woman who was attacked in the 100 block of West Roosevelt Road, and a 25-year-old woman who was attacked in the 600 block of South State Street.
Cook County prosecutors said the string of attacks started around 8:30 a.m., near Roosevelt Road and Clark Street, as the 36-year-old woman was walking toward her gym. The victim saw Ewing urinating and possibly exposing himself near a maroon van, and as she walked past him, he tried to talk to her, but she couldn't hear him because she was listening to an audiobook.
Ewing then grabbed her by the shoulders and placed her in a bear hug, moaning and calling her "baby," according to prosecutors. The victim began hitting him with her cell phone, and bit him on the neck. Ewing let the woman go, and got into the passenger door of the van, and drove off. The victim went into a nearby store and called police.
About 15 minutes later, the 45-year-old woman was walking home from starbucks in the 200 block of South Sangamon Street, when she noticed Ewing walking next to her, according to prosecutors. Ewing then suddenly began to walk faster, got in front of the woman, grabbed her by the shoulders, and tried to force her into a maroon van.
The woman began shouting, and Ewing stared punching her in the head as she struggled to stay out of the van, pulling some of its protective cover off before a good Samaritan heard her screams and confronted Ewing, who grabbed something from his van, threatened the witness, and got into his van and fled the scene, according to prosecutors.
Then, shortly after 9 a.m., Ewing was captured on CTA surveillance video as he was urinating into a plastic bottle on the platform of the Harrison stop on the Red Line. Moments later, a 25-year-old woman walked down the stairs of the station as Ewing was leaving, and Ewing poured the bottle of urine on her, covering her hair, face, and purse, including some in her mouth. Before leaving the scene, Ewing told her "she deserved it," according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors said the 36-year-old woman and the 25-year-old woman identified Ewing as their attacker when they were shown his picture in photo arrays. He was also caught on video fleeing the scene of his attempt to kidnap the 45-year-old woman, according to prosecutors.
At his bond hearing Wednesday afternoon, Ewing's bail was set at $500,000, and a judge ordered him placed on electronic monitoring if he is able to post bond to be released from custody. He was also ordered not to have any contact with the victims, witnesses, or the CTA.
Less than a day before the attacks, Ewing had appeared in court on Saturday on a charge of failing to register as a sex offender, and was released on bond with only his signature, and an agreement to appear back in court Tuesday. But he failed to show up for that court appearance, and a judge issued an arrest warrant on Tuesday.
Police arrested Ewing Tuesday in the Loop, a day after releasing surveillance photos in connection to the attempted kidnapping in the West Loop.
His first victim told CBS 2 on Wednesday that she was shocked to learn about his record, and that he had just been released from custody the day before the attacks.
"I'm just really disappointed. I'm really kind of upset to know that this is someone that should not have been on the street; that we are aware was dangerous," she told CBS 2's Tara Molina.
The victim was was likewise shocked that Ewing had just been released.
"I'm just really disappointed," she said. "I'm really kind of upset to know this is someone who should not have been on the street; that we are aware was dangerous."
She said something needs to happen now.
"The community needs to be protected - and women need to be better protected than this – because this is clearly someone that was dangerous," she said.
A spokesperson for the Cook County State's Attorney's office said they can't address questions about Ewing's release or his history, since this is active case.
First victim says "I'm happy that I was able to defend myself"
The victim of the attack on Roosevelt Road first came forward and told her story to Molina on Tuesday. She spoke out to warn others to stay aware of your surroundings -- and if something seems off get out of the area.
The woman wasn't comfortable sharing her name or showing her face on TV, but wants you to hear her story.
"I'm happy that I was able to defend myself and that I wasn't hurt," the woman said as she stood a stone's throw from where she was attacked Sunday morning. "It was very upsetting."
She said she was also a victim of the very same man who appeared in the surveillance images released by police.
"He was wearing the white shirt," she said. "He was not wearing those pants."
The woman walked us through exactly what happened; what she escaped Sunday morning while walking down Roosevelt Road.
"I crossed the bridge and I noticed a man at the van, and he had his private parts exposed," she said.
The woman said she thought the man was urinating, and she hurried past. But she said the danger followed her.
"I turned to look and he was like coming toward me; like lunging toward me - saying things like, 'Ooh baby,' like kind of like lustful comments," the woman said.
The woman said the man grabbed her and pulled her in toward him.
"When he moved his head, all I could do was like bite his neck -- so I bit his neck, and he like moaned like he was like turned on. And so I started punched him and I tried to bite as hard as I could, and on the second bite, he let go" she said. "He just started backing away into the truck and he was like, 'I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry -- I had to.'"
Attempted abduction reported in same area in August
Weeks before the 45-year-old woman was attacked in the West Loop, another abduction attempt was reported near the same intersection.
Almost a month ago on Aug. 24, a man was walking his dog at the corner of Adams and Sangamon streets when he spotted what looked like a woman in distress. The man sprayed the would-be kidnapper and three other people in the getaway car with bear spray. They took off shortly afterward.
That woman was not physically harmed. Police have not said if the two incidents are connected.
"Now this has become very scary," said Julie Darling with West Loop Community Organization. "I'm not one to be an alarmist, but at this point it does very much scare me. It's very unnerving, and I'm really urging my neighbors and my friends to walk together, carry some sort of self-defense, pepper spray, mace. The first line of self-defense is being aware."
In both cases someone was there to step in and do something and cameras were rolling. Neighbors worry that won't always be the case.
CBS 2 did reach out to building management to see if they would give us that video. We are waiting to hear back.
Police have not said if the two incidents are connected, and Ewing has not been charged in the August attack.
