Man Pleads Not Guilty To Throwing Bike At Metra Conductor
WAUKEGAN, Ill. (STMW) -- A north suburban man has pleaded not guilty to assaulting a Metra conductor by throwing his bike at the man at the Lake Forest station, the News-Sun is reporting.
Robert O'Leary, 50, was charged with nine counts of felony aggravated battery and one count of misdemeanor aggravated assault for the Dec. 21 incident at the Lake Forest Metra station, according to Lake County Asst. State's Atty. Reginald Mathews.
O'Leary allegedly threw his bicycle while the conductor's back was turned in retaliation for being ejected from the train, Mathews said. The conductor asked him to exit the train at the next stop, and exited and threw his bike at the conductor, Mathews said.
O'Leary then got into a struggle with Metra employees until Metra police and Lake Forest police responded, Mathews said.
During the struggle, the conductor was banged up and suffered a fractured thumb in the bike attack, Mathews said.
O'Leary pleaded not guilty during arraignment in Lake County Circuit Court on Thursday.
He remains in custody at Lake County Jail on a $10,000 bond, according to jail records.
Another Libertyville man, Matthew Padour, was convicted last month of four counts of aggravated battery for punching a Metra conductor over a fare dispute. Sentencing is April 15.
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