A woman charged with participating in a violent robbery on a CTA Red Line train last month turned herself in after Chicago police released surveillance images of five suspects to news outlets. Four juveniles have also been charged with the attack.
During a detention hearing for Aallyah Gist, 23, prosecutors claimed a 28-year-old woman and a friend boarded a southbound Red Line train at Roosevelt around 1:45 a.m. on June 21. When the train arrived at the Garfield station, a group of males and females boarded, and the victim recognized some of the males as those who had previously attacked her.
Feeling frightened, the woman walked closer to the entrance, but one of the men she recognized unfastened her backpack. When she sought to guard it by bringing it to the front of her body, other members of the gang started striking her and attempting to seize the bag, according to prosecutors. The woman slid to the train floor, landing on top of her backpack, while the group continued to hit her and steal the bag.
Gist approached the woman and repeatedly kicked her in the head and torso while she was detained by one of the males, according to prosecutors. One of the males then used a knife to cut the bag’s straps, which the group seized before departing the train on 69th Street. The victim also exited and notified K-9 security personnel.
Surveillance cameras filmed the attack, and detectives made some of the footage available to the public on June 28. Gist later surrendered to authorities and “made full admissions,” prosecutors stated in a detention petition. Gist also admitted to kicking the victim, according to the petition.
According to court records, Judge Luciano Panici Jr. dismissed the state’s detention petition and ordered Gist released on electronic monitoring. Gist has no criminal history.
In addition to Gist, four adolescents have been charged, according to a Chicago Police spokesperson. Three boys, one aged 14 and two aged 15, have each been charged with armed robbery with a deadly weapon. A 14-year-old girl faces three felony charges: armed robbery with a dangerous weapon, robbery, and aggravated violence on a transportation employee.
There are no more facts accessible concerning the kids because their records are protected by state law.