Suburban Men Accused of Using Google Translate to Rob Spanish-Speaking Man on CTA
Two 18-year-old suburban men, Tyshon Smith of Bloomingdale and Dylan Roszak of Itasca, have been charged with robbery in connection with an incident on the Blue Line at Clark-Lake. The robbery took place on September 26, where the victim, a 34-year-old Spanish-speaking man, was targeted by Smith, Roszak, and a third individual.
According to prosecutors, the victim was approached by the three suspects while riding the train home. As the victim did not speak English, he used Google Translate on his phone to communicate with Smith. Smith and Roszak then allegedly threatened the man, demanding money or else they would harm him. The victim complied, handing over $150 in cash and his Mexican identification card before the suspects fled the scene at Chicago Avenue.
After Chicago police detectives released surveillance images of the suspects, two Roselle Police Department school resource officers recognized Smith and Roszak from the community alert. The officers identified the teenagers, leading to their arrest. Despite the victim’s inability to positively identify the suspects in photo lineups, Smith and Roszak surrendered to Chicago police last week.
Both individuals, who have no prior arrest records, appeared before Judge Mary Marubio, who denied their detention petitions.
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