A CTA commuter who traced his stolen iPhone to a Joliet location played a crucial role in helping Chicago police solve two transit robberies, which prosecutors allege were carried out by a repeat offender on felony pretrial release. Alphanso Carter, 34, faces two robbery charges linked to separate incidents that took place within 30 minutes of each other nearly a year ago, prosecutors revealed.
The initial robbery occurred on the 3800 block of South Archer Avenue. Here, a 74-year-old man was traveling on a CTA bus when he was approached, and his iPhone was forcibly taken. The assailant then fled. The victim, who was interviewed by detectives almost two weeks later, stated he was tracking his stolen phone to a Joliet address, according to prosecutors.
During the investigation, Chicago police issued a community alert featuring CTA surveillance images of the suspect. Detectives scrutinized recent CPD arrests of individuals listing Joliet addresses, identifying 15 names, including Carter’s, prosecutors said.
Detectives noted that Carter’s mugshot from a June 2, 2025 arrest depicted him wearing the same shirt as the robbery suspect in the CTA surveillance footage. Additionally, body-worn camera footage from the arrest allegedly showed Carter in the same shoes and pants.
Further investigation linked Carter to another robbery occurring approximately 30 minutes after the first incident. A 52-year-old woman was on a CTA Pink Line train when Carter allegedly approached, seized her phone, and fled the train. Once again, CTA video allegedly depicted Carter wearing the same attire he had during his earlier arrest.
Recently, detectives apprehended Carter after his court appearance on an unrelated retail theft charge. Prosecutors stated Carter was already on felony pretrial release for another retail theft at the time of the transit robberies. His criminal history includes convictions for burglary, narcotics violations, aggravated DUI, and retail theft, according to court records.
Judge James Murphy III has ordered Carter to be held on the robbery charges.
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