A 24-year-old man, identified by authorities as Mekel Gordon, has been charged with aggressive sexual offenses following an alleged attack on a CTA Yellow Line train in Evanston. According to FOX 32 Chicago, the incident occurred near Dodge Avenue and Mulford Street last week around 1 a.m. Friday. Evanston police allege Gordon assaulted a woman, attempting to forcibly undress her, but fled the scene after she resisted and fought back.
The woman, who courageously fought off her attacker, was taken to a local hospital for treatment and was released subsequently. Details gathered by ABC7 Chicago noted that police had released surveillance images of the suspect on Saturday. Tips from the public ultimately helped to briefly detain the man the following morning near the Howard Street CTA Station in Chicago.
Following his capture at the Chicago station, Gordon was found to be wearing clothing that closely resembled what the suspect had been described as wearing during the attack. In a police statement, he later admitted to being involved in the incident. The charges approved by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office against Gordon include one felony count of aggravated attempted criminal sexual assault and two felony counts of aggravated battery, as reported by FOX 32 Chicago.
Both FOX 32 Chicago and ABC7 Chicago have confirmed that Gordon is homeless. He is currently scheduled to appear at the Skokie Courthouse for a detention hearing on Monday afternoon. The legal process is expected to draw considerable attention due to the nature of the allegations and the circumstances surrounding the crime.
