CHICAGO, IL - Police with the Chicago Police Department (CPD) have been actively looking for those responsible for beating and robbing several victims on the CTA Red Line over the last few days.
According to CBS News, three of those individuals turned themselves in to police on Monday, September 23rd, thanks to the help of Pastor Corey Brooks, who saw the photo of the alleged offenders and recognized all of them. Brooks connected with three of their parents and brought them to the police. He said, "As soon as I saw the picture, my heart sank. I was hurt. I know all the kids in the pictures."
The picture in question showed two rows of surveillance images released by CPD of suspects in what they are calling a dangerous armed robbery. The incident happened around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 14th, at the 47th Street Green line station, on 47th Street between Prairie and Calumet avenues in Bronzeville.
Brooks leads New Beginnings Church and the community activist group Project Hood. He said the kids accused in the robbery have been involved in their programming.
He added, "I didn't have to wait to contact the parents. The parents contacted me. These are parents who are single parents who are working every single day. They're not on government assistance. They're not living on welfare. They are going to work every single day. They're trying to make a living for their children and it is very difficult and hard for them."
Brooks brought three of the kids in the photos to the police station to turn themselves in on Monday night. He said, "They were a little upset with me, but they know I love them and I talked to them about that." According to police, the three kids — a 12-year-old boy, a 13-year-old girl, and a 15-year-old boy — are now all charged with felony armed robbery; they have been accused of robbing an 18-year-old woman at gunpoint on the train.
Brooks said, "Allegedly, it is a fake gun." Hours before the kids turned themselves in, Brooks, who is popularly known as the "Rooftop Pastor" on social media, wrote on X, "I'm asking for the chance to assist in providing guidance and support for these young people. All of them are minors under 15 so please give me that opportunity."
Police also arrested two other teens for their alleged actions in other incidents on CTA property. A 16-year-old and a 14-year-old allegedly robbed and battered each of the victims in their attacks. According to police, a 20-year-old man was robbed at the 47th Street Red Line station at 10:30 p.m. on August 20th, a 24-year-old man was robbed at the Sheridan Red Line station at 10:20 p.m. on September 17th, another man was robbed at the Bryn Mawr Red Line station the same night, and a 30-year-old man was robbed at the Clark/Division Red Line stop at 12:15 a.m. on September 8th.
Police said that a robbery was also reported at the Sox/35th Red Line station. Even though five kids in total have now been arrested in connection with these crimes, there were five young kids in the surveillance photos from the robbery on the Green Line, but only the three that Brooks brought in surrendered.
Brooks said that the families of the remaining two were not cooperative. The Cook County State's Attorney's Office and Chief Judges' office could not provide additional information on the underage suspected offenders. However, on Tuesday, September 24th, the two teen boys, 14 and 15, were also charged with one felony count of armed robbery. It is not clear if they were turned into police.
Brooks said that for the three kids he brought into the police station and their families, the work is only just beginning. He said, "Our goal is to make sure they don't continue down a path of destruction. Our goal is to intervene and help them to become the best they can possibly be." After the kids surrendered, Brooks wrote in a follow-up post on X, "I'm not excusing the behavior of these kids. But many don't realize the deep trauma they've endured, often paired with dysfunctional family situations. It's a cycle that's fueling many of the challenges we see today."
According to CBS News, three of those individuals turned themselves in to police on Monday, September 23rd, thanks to the help of Pastor Corey Brooks, who saw the photo of the alleged offenders and recognized all of them. Brooks connected with three of their parents and brought them to the police. He said, "As soon as I saw the picture, my heart sank. I was hurt. I know all the kids in the pictures."
The picture in question showed two rows of surveillance images released by CPD of suspects in what they are calling a dangerous armed robbery. The incident happened around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 14th, at the 47th Street Green line station, on 47th Street between Prairie and Calumet avenues in Bronzeville.
Brooks leads New Beginnings Church and the community activist group Project Hood. He said the kids accused in the robbery have been involved in their programming.
He added, "I didn't have to wait to contact the parents. The parents contacted me. These are parents who are single parents who are working every single day. They're not on government assistance. They're not living on welfare. They are going to work every single day. They're trying to make a living for their children and it is very difficult and hard for them."
Brooks brought three of the kids in the photos to the police station to turn themselves in on Monday night. He said, "They were a little upset with me, but they know I love them and I talked to them about that." According to police, the three kids — a 12-year-old boy, a 13-year-old girl, and a 15-year-old boy — are now all charged with felony armed robbery; they have been accused of robbing an 18-year-old woman at gunpoint on the train.
Brooks said, "Allegedly, it is a fake gun." Hours before the kids turned themselves in, Brooks, who is popularly known as the "Rooftop Pastor" on social media, wrote on X, "I'm asking for the chance to assist in providing guidance and support for these young people. All of them are minors under 15 so please give me that opportunity."
Police also arrested two other teens for their alleged actions in other incidents on CTA property. A 16-year-old and a 14-year-old allegedly robbed and battered each of the victims in their attacks. According to police, a 20-year-old man was robbed at the 47th Street Red Line station at 10:30 p.m. on August 20th, a 24-year-old man was robbed at the Sheridan Red Line station at 10:20 p.m. on September 17th, another man was robbed at the Bryn Mawr Red Line station the same night, and a 30-year-old man was robbed at the Clark/Division Red Line stop at 12:15 a.m. on September 8th.
Police said that a robbery was also reported at the Sox/35th Red Line station. Even though five kids in total have now been arrested in connection with these crimes, there were five young kids in the surveillance photos from the robbery on the Green Line, but only the three that Brooks brought in surrendered.
Brooks said that the families of the remaining two were not cooperative. The Cook County State's Attorney's Office and Chief Judges' office could not provide additional information on the underage suspected offenders. However, on Tuesday, September 24th, the two teen boys, 14 and 15, were also charged with one felony count of armed robbery. It is not clear if they were turned into police.
Brooks said that for the three kids he brought into the police station and their families, the work is only just beginning. He said, "Our goal is to make sure they don't continue down a path of destruction. Our goal is to intervene and help them to become the best they can possibly be." After the kids surrendered, Brooks wrote in a follow-up post on X, "I'm not excusing the behavior of these kids. But many don't realize the deep trauma they've endured, often paired with dysfunctional family situations. It's a cycle that's fueling many of the challenges we see today."
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