A recent incident on the Chicago Red Line has led to the arrest of 25-year-old Lemia Black, who is now facing charges of robbery and aggravated battery of a transit passenger. The attack took place on January 5 near Grand, where Black and her accomplices approached a 23-year-old woman on the train, assaulted her, and stole her phone.
Surveillance footage captured the incident as it unfolded, with Black later confessing to throwing the victim’s phone onto the train tracks. She claimed that the altercation stemmed from an ongoing dispute with the victim. What caught the attention of the public was a surveillance image showing Black smiling broadly as she walked down a subway platform, which ultimately led to her identification and arrest.
It was revealed that Black is a convicted gun offender who was already on parole for escaping electronic monitoring at the time of the alleged attack. Her parole has since been revoked, and she has been returned to prison. She is scheduled to be released from state custody on August 22, after which she will be transferred to Cook County jail to await trial on the new charges.
This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of public surveillance and cooperation in identifying and apprehending suspects involved in criminal activities. The swift action taken by law enforcement in this case highlights the effectiveness of using technology to combat crime and ensure the safety of public transportation passengers.
As we await further developments in this case, it is crucial to continue supporting the work of law enforcement agencies in maintaining the security and well-being of our communities. Stay tuned for more updates on this story as it unfolds.
Original reporting you’ll see nowhere else, paid for by our readers. Click here to support our work.
Tim Hecke is CWBChicago’s managing partner. He started his career at KMOX, the legendary news radio station in St. Louis. From there, he moved on to work at stations in Minneapolis, Chicago, and New York City. Tim went on to build syndicated radio news and content services that served every one of America’s 100 largest radio markets. He became CWBChicago’s managing partner in 2019.
His email address is tim@cwbchicago.com
