A person who skipped court docket after allegedly attacking a CTA bus driver over the summer time is again in custody, accused of attacking and robbing a passenger on a Purple Line prepare after facial recognition expertise helped police establish him.
Michael McKinney, 24, was arrested on June 24 for allegedly punching a 41-year-old bus driver within the 5900 block of West Madison Road after being advised to go away the bus. The driving force advised police McKinney punched him within the face, knocked him to the bottom, and continued putting him, inflicting swelling and bleeding close to his proper eye.
Prosecutors didn’t ask a decide to detain McKinney, who was launched to await trial. Court docket data present he failed to seem on July 21, prompting a decide to situation a warrant for his arrest.
That warrant was nonetheless lively on September 14 when McKinney boarded a southbound Purple Line prepare round 9:30 p.m., prosecutors stated. With out provocation, he allegedly approached a seated passenger and started punching him, inflicting the person to fall. McKinney took the sufferer’s backpack, which contained work supplies, and fled the prepare at ninety fifth Road, prosecutors alleged.
CTA safety cameras recorded the assault and theft. Detectives submitted nonetheless photos from the footage to a facial recognition program operated by the Illinois Secretary of State’s workplace, which matched the robber’s picture to McKinney, in response to prosecutors. Investigators then contacted officers who had arrested McKinney in June. In addition they recognized him from the CTA footage.
Decide Shauna Boliker detained McKinney for failing to seem and on a brand new cost of theft.
