Two Chicago men are facing a stack of felony counts after police say a mini crime spree targeted Metra ticket machines in the South Shore neighborhood. Investigators allege that between Jan. 3 and Jan. 8, 35-year-old Torrence Bradley and 34-year-old Jujuan Fells broke into five ticket vending machines, leaving behind damaged hardware and frustrated commuters. Both men have been released pending trial and are due back in court Friday.
Arrest and Charges
According to reporting by the Chicago Sun-Times, Bradley has been hit with four counts of burglary, four counts of criminal damage to property, one count of attempted burglary and one count of unlawful possession of burglary tools. Fells is charged with two counts of burglary and one count of criminal damage to property, Metra Police told the Sun-Times. The arrests follow a Metra Police investigation into a run of broken machines in the South Shore area.
Why Ticket Machines Are Tempting Targets
Metra has been shifting away from staffed ticket counters in favor of vending machines and mobile ticketing, which means more money and responsibility rest on machines that often sit unattended. Streetsblog Chicago has detailed the agency’s move to close traditional ticket windows, while Metra explains that vending machines and the Ventra app are now primary ways to buy fares. That combination of fewer staffed counters and more unmanned machines means any vandalism lands harder on both riders and the agency.
What It Means for Riders
When ticket machines are damaged, they can be knocked out of service entirely. Riders are then pushed to the Ventra app or to buying onboard, which can involve a surcharge and is a headache for anyone without a smartphone or a data plan. A recent downtown incident at the Van Buren Street station showed how quickly things can unravel. CBS Chicago reported that thieves damaged ticket machines at 132 E. Van Buren St., temporarily wiping out on-site ticketing options at that stop. Transit advocates say episodes like these highlight equity and reliability concerns as Metra leans more heavily on machines instead of people behind windows.
Legal Consequences
Under Illinois law, burglary is a felony-level offense. The state’s burglary statute, 720 ILCS 5/19-1, is listed on Justia as a Class 2 felony, while possession of burglary tools, 720 ILCS 5/19-2, appears on Justia as a Class 4 felony. Criminal damage to property is covered by 720 ILCS 5/21-1, and FindLaw notes that penalties increase with the value of the damage. Those felony classifications can translate into prison time and fines if prosecutors secure convictions, though Bradley and Fells remain presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in court.
Next Steps
Bradley and Fells have been released while they await trial and are scheduled to return to court Friday, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Metra Police say they are continuing to investigate the five South Shore incidents and that tips played a role in the arrests, per the Sun-Times. Transit officials say they will keep repairing or removing damaged machines and monitoring stations as the cases move through the legal system.
