Laura Garcia, a 38-year-old woman from Chicago, has been charged with robbery after allegedly collaborating with an unidentified male accomplice to rob an 89-year-old man on the Blue Line last month. Judge Robert Kuzas ordered Garcia to remain in custody following her court appearance, while her accomplice has not yet been apprehended.
According to prosecutors, on February 14 at approximately 8:25 a.m., Garcia and her accomplice were on the Blue Line, approaching passengers for money under the pretense of celebrating the accomplice’s birthday. Garcia reportedly sat across from the elderly victim while her accomplice positioned himself just behind him, as noted in a detention petition.
After the victim exited at the Division stop, Garcia and her partner followed him onto the platform. The male accomplice allegedly approached the victim from behind, demanding, “Give me something,” before reaching into the victim’s pockets and removing a wallet after pulling out napkins, as stated in the petition. The victim struck the accomplice twice with his cane, prompting the man to flee downstairs to where Garcia was allegedly waiting.
Prosecutors explained that the pair returned to the platform, where the accomplice handed Garcia the wallet, which she inspected before giving it back to him. Garcia then reboarded the Blue Line while the accomplice left the scene on foot.
Detectives issued a public bulletin last month featuring two CTA surveillance images of the male suspect. They also circulated an internal notice with additional images of the female suspect. An officer recognized Garcia from these images, recalling her arrest at the Monroe Blue Line station on two outstanding warrants just ten days before the incident. A sergeant in charge of the female lockup that day also identified her. The robbery victim subsequently identified Garcia in a photo lineup, according to prosecutors.
Garcia was recently detained after approaching a CPD public transport unit in the Loop, where officers recognized her from the bulletin, as stated in a police report.
In addition to the robbery charge, Garcia had two outstanding warrants at the time of her arrest, according to the CPD report. Court records reveal numerous cases filed against her since 2006, predominantly misdemeanors. Her felony convictions include a 2010 DUI, a 2013 aggravated battery against a peace officer, a 2024 narcotics conviction, and two 2025 cases—possession of a stolen motor vehicle and burglary—for which she is currently serving mental health probation.
The accomplice remains unidentified and has not been charged.
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