CTA Bus Driver Allegedly Kidnapped

A Chicago Transit Authority bus driver was forced to keep driving at knifepoint on Chicago’s Northwest Side early Wednesday before escaping through a bus window on the Near North Side, according to police and CTA statements. Chicago police said the driver, a 57-year-old woman, was operating a southbound No. 53 bus when a male passenger pulled out a sharp object and ordered her not to stop. The driver was not reported injured. Police later took a suspect into custody, and charges were pending as of Wednesday. ### Where did the episode begin, and where did it end? Chicago police said the encounter began just before 2:40 a.m. in the 2400 block of North Pulaski Road in the Belmont Gardens area. The suspect was riding the bus when he displayed a knife and demanded that the operator continue driving, according to police as reported by ABC7 Chicago and Fox 32 Chicago. (abc7chicago.com) North Clark Street became the point of escape after the bus traveled off its normal route. ABC7 reported that the driver continued to the 900 block of North Clark Street on the Near North Side, about 6.5 miles from where police said the incident started. ### How did the driver get away? The 57-year-old operator escaped by climbing out of a bus window, according to police accounts carried by local outlets. (abc7chicago.com) ABC7 reported that a bus supervisor located the vehicle before the driver got out through the window. Fox 32 said she “managed to escape” and that no injuries were reported. Michelle Townsend, second vice president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 241, told ABC7 that surveillance video showed the suspect making stabbing motions with the knife where the driver could see him in the mirror. ABC7 also reported that the bus was likely equipped with a protective clear barrier, though the suspect was apparently able to get around it. (abc7chicago.com) ### What do police say happened to the suspect? Chicago police said the suspect got off the bus after the driver escaped and ran. ABC7 reported that officers took him into custody shortly before 3:20 a.m. in the 100 block of East Chestnut Street in the Gold Coast. Fox 32 also reported that a suspect was arrested and that charges were pending. (abc7chicago.com) Police had not publicly released additional identifying details about the suspect in the reports available Wednesday. Fox 32 said police had not disclosed the suspect’s age or where he was taken into custody beyond saying he was arrested after the incident. ### What has CTA said about the response? The CTA said the driver activated a silent alarm during the incident, according to ABC7. (abc7chicago.com) In a statement reported by Fox 32, the agency said the Chicago Police Department’s “swift actions” led to the immediate apprehension of the person responsible and said CTA would work closely with law enforcement during the investigation. (fox32chicago.com) CTA’s security page says Chicago police are the agency’s primary law-enforcement partner and that the transit system is covered by a network of about 39,000 cameras. The agency says CPD’s Public Transportation Section and other officers patrol buses, trains and stations, while a 24-hour Strategic Decision Support Center is connected to CTA cameras. ### What is still unclear? Police had not said in the cited reports what prompted the attack or whether the suspect specifically targeted the operator. (abc7chicago.com) ABC7 said it was unclear what the suspect wanted. Wednesday’s next public step was the charging decision. Chicago police said charges were pending, while CTA said it would push for felony upgrades and continue assisting investigators as the case moves forward. (transitchicago.com) (fox32chicago.com) (abc7chicago.com)