Two men have been apprehended and face felony charges in the wake of an assault on a food delivery driver on Chicago's CTA Red Line, an incident that swiftly turned from a routine commute to a violent theft, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The driver, a 20-year-old man, was attacked shortly after 8:00 a.m. on December 22 after boarding an inbound train on the South Side at 69th Street. Following the 35th Street stop, the assault began when one suspect brandished a knife and his accomplice forcefully applied a choke-hold to the victim.
Reports state that the assailants repeatedly struck the delivery driver in the face and body before taking his electric bike and headphones. The two men then disembarked at the Cermak Road station and managed to quickly board a southbound train. However, their getaway was thwarted as the victim had cleverly equipped an Apple AirTag to his bike, a small device that investigators were able to use, along with CTA surveillance footage, to almost immediately locate the assailants.
The tracking technology led authorities to a motel located in the 7600 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue in Greater Grand Crossing. In a swift operation taking place within an hour of the attack, officers took into custody Christopher Owens, 20, and Claude Elder, 44, charging each with one count of aggravated battery and aggravated robbery, as reported by NBC Chicago.
The use of the AirTag in this context underscores the potential for everyday technology to assist in not only recovering stolen property but also in aiding law enforcement in quickly apprehending suspects involved in criminal activity. The accused, Owens and Elder, have already appeared before the court and, being deemed a flight risk, were ordered to be held in custody pending their next trial dates, which were set for the following Monday.
