Man charged in in wine bottle attack, robbery on CTA Red Line train due in bond court
By Jessica D’Onofrio
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CHICAGO (WLS) — A man will appear in court after he was charged for a violent armed robbery on a CTA Red Line train that was captured on horrific video, Chicago police said.
Solomon Washington, 30, is facing multiple felony charges for assault and robbery.
Washington was arrested on Wednesday in connection to a violent attack on the CTA Red Line last Saturday and a separate robbery that took place late last Sunday.
Video shows two men demanding ID from a man who was sleeping on the L, then taking the victim’s wine bottle and striking him in the head, leaving him bleeding in his seat.
The incident happened on Sept. 24 around 2:42 a.m. on a Red Line train near the 95th Street station, leaving TeShaun Terry – who recorded the violent confrontation – stunned on her way home. She said she went searching for help at the train station, but no one was around.
“When I seen the blood I instantly felt so bad!” Terry said. “So, I instantly … when the train stopped, I stopped the video and I ran upstairs to look for the operators. There were no operators! There were no security! There were literally no one!”
Terry said the two men targeted a man who appeared to be asleep on the train. Police said the victim is unhoused, which made it difficult to locate him to conduct their investigation.
In the video, police say Washington tried to rob a 44-year-old man and then hit the victim in the head with a glass bottle.
“This video pretty much went viral so most people have seen the incident. Individual is attacked on a train and hit with a bottle, left bleeding and eventually taken to a hospital to get treatment,” CPD Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan. “Everybody worked together on this incident to bring this offender to justice.”
Police said Washington was also involved in a second armed robbery in which he punched a 46-year-old man in the face and took his personal property the following day, also at the 95th Street station.
Washington is charged with one count of armed robbery with a dangerous weapon, one count of aggravated battery in a public place, one count of robbery, and one count of theft, all felonies.
Police said they are still looking for the second man seen in the video of the wine bottle attack.
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