Two individuals, Raekwon Matthews, 25, and George McCray, 18, have been arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated robbery after allegedly robbing two CTA passengers of their shoes and other belongings. Matthews is also facing an additional charge of resisting police.
The incident took place on a Red Line train near the Garfield station around 3 a.m. on June 27. The perpetrators, Matthews and McCray, reportedly approached two 19-year-old men, displayed what appeared to be a handgun, and proceeded to pat down the victims before taking their backpacks. The victims immediately alerted the police and provided descriptions of the robbers.
Law enforcement officers conducted a search of the Red Line and successfully located Matthews and McCray moving between train cars near 63rd Street. Upon their arrest, it was discovered that both men were in possession of the victims’ stolen property. Additionally, an airsoft pistol was recovered from the tracks between two rail cars.
The stolen items included the victims’ shoes, $100 in cash, AirPods, a wallet, Beats headphones, and keys. Judge Susana Ortiz ordered for both men to be detained, highlighting McCray’s prior involvement in a gun case and his current status on juvenile probation.
CWBChicago, a platform dedicated to providing original public safety reporting with detailed context, first reported on this incident. The coverage area of CWBChicago extends to various North Side areas, including Lincoln Park, River North, The Loop, and Uptown. The platform was established in 2013 by residents of Wrigleyville and Boystown who were dissatisfied with the inaccurate information being disseminated at local Community Policing (CAPS) meetings.
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