Chicago police swarmed the Millennium Park parking garage early Monday after reports of a sexual assault inside the downtown structure. Officers and evidence technicians were seen working inside the garage for several hours, while witnesses said a man ran toward a nearby CTA Red Line train and bystanders chased after him. Aerial footage later showed someone being detained near a Red Line station, and officials have not released details about the alleged victim or any charges.
Police Activity And What We Know So Far
As reported by ABC7 Chicago, Area Central officers were called to the scene around 7 a.m. after police scanner traffic flagged a "criminal sexual assault" inside the garage, and investigators were seen collecting evidence. The station's Chopper 7 captured video of an arrest outside a Red Line stop that ABC7 said could be connected to the incident, and a police vehicle remained near the garage for much of the morning.
Downtown Context And Past Incidents
The Millennium Park garages sit beneath the park and serve thousands of visitors, commuters and theatergoers, according to Millennium Garages. Incidents near the park's transit hubs have occurred before. In 2019, a woman who chased a phone thief into a stairwell near the park was later sexually assaulted, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times.
What Police Want And Next Steps
Chicago police have not publicly released a suspect description or filed charges, and the garage appeared to be open again later Monday, ABC7 Chicago reported. Detectives typically ask anyone with information to contact CPD, and officials had not provided additional details to reporters at the time of ABC7's update.
