Men with ankle monitors accused of Red Line train robbery
Shannon Stephens, 23, and Jamari Gray, 21, both wearing ankle monitors for pending cases, are facing charges of robbery and aggravated battery after allegedly mugging a passenger on a southbound Red Line train near 47th Street.
During the incident, Stephens reportedly cut the victim’s wrist and palm while Gray struck the victim in the face. They also took the victim’s bookbag and a chunk of his beard before fleeing the scene. Stephens was apprehended nearby, and Gray was arrested upon his return to the train platform carrying the stolen bag.
Both men were ordered detained by Judge James Murphy III, who expressed concern over their ankle monitors. Interestingly, Stephens had a robbery charge dropped just hours before the Red Line attack. He had been involved in a separate incident at a Jewel-Osco where he was caught trying to leave with a bottle of vodka. Despite resisting arrest, the robbery charge against him was dismissed the day before the CTA robbery.
Gray, on the other hand, was on electronic monitoring for an unrelated weapons case. He had been charged with carrying a loaded gun and had repeatedly violated his monitoring terms before his arrest in the robbery case.
Both men have a history of disregarding court orders and monitoring conditions, raising concerns about their compliance with legal requirements.
It remains to be seen how their pending cases will be affected by these recent allegations and their repeated disregard for the law.
