A recent surge in CTA-related violence has culminated in the arrest of an 18-year-old woman, Tamia Washington, in connection with the beating and robbery of a 63-year-old man on the Orange Line train. The incident, which occurred on July 8 in the Loop, has sparked conversation around public safety and the involvement of minors in violent crimes. Washington, who turned herself in after being recognized by her mother in a Chicago police bulletin, was the fifth person to be charged.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Washington's charges include one felony count of robbery of a victim 60 years or older. Adding to the complexities of the situation, police had already taken into custody four younger counterparts—an 11-year-old girl and three boys ages 14, 15, and 16, all facing two felony counts of robbery and aggravated battery against an older victim. As it seems to have happened, the five individuals had allegedly begun to attack the man on the train in the first block of West Congress Parkway between 11 and 11:30 p.m., subsequently fleeing with his belongings.
The victim, identified by CWB Chicago as Michael Manning, recounted the harrowing experience saying, "They just pounded on me, and I knew I had to get off this car to, like, not die." Details from the report suggest the assault persisted even after Manning had exited the train at Quincy, with the assailants following him onto the platform before eventually disbanding.
Returning to the station after seeing her photo, Washington's mother brought her to the Central (1st) District police station in the South Loop on a Wednesday morning. "Thanks, mom! Woman is charged with violent CTA attack after her mother recognizes her in Chicago police bulletin," read the headline from CWB Chicago, detailing that the young woman was detained by Judge Caroline Glennon-Goodman and is awaiting trial on the aforementioned charge.
In response to the unsettling event, a CTA representative condemned the violence stating, "This type of violence has no place on the CTA, and we are dismayed by the actions of these juveniles," according to a statement obtained by Chicago Sun-Times. The agency also recognized the cooperative efforts with the Chicago Police Department that led to the quick arrests, with a nod to the surveillance systems that provided essential footage for the investigation.
