Knife-Wielding Robber Threatens To Cut Off Finger Of Purple Line Rider In Evanston: Police

EVANSTON, IL — An Urbana resident was arrested following a brief foot chase in Wilmette and charged with armed robbery after being identified as the man who had just threatened a CTA Purple Line rider at knifepoint, authorities said.

Frank Riley, 24, of the 1800 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue, was arrested last week at the Linden Avenue CTA station in Wilmette after robbing a man on the train in Evanston, according to police and prosecutors.

Shortly after 11 a.m. on Dec. 20, Riley and another man were alone on a car of CTA train headed north. In an incident captured by CTA security video, Riley walked over to the man as the train approached the Noyes Purple Line Station, Assistant State's Attorney Alexzandria Johnson said at Riley's initial court appearance.

Johnson said the man took out his headphones and told Riley he did not have any money.

"[Riley] demanded that the victim give [Riley] his ring. The victim indicated to [Riley] that his ring was only worth $20 and [Riley] continued to indicate that he wanted the victim's ring," Johnson said.

"The victim indicated that his ring would not come off because it was too tight on his finger. [Riley] then took a green knuckle pocket knife out of his hoodie pocket and displayed it to the victim and indicated that he would have to cut the ring off the victim's finger," the prosecutor continued. "The victim then stood up and gave [Riley] $20."

The man who Riley had threatened got off the train at Noyes and called 911. Riley remained on the train until he was seen exiting it at the Linden station by Wilmette police officers, according to Johnson.

Riley tried to flee on foot but was taken into custody following a brief pursuit. The man he is accused of robbing identified him, and police found the knife and $20 bill described by the man, the prosecutor said.

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In addition to having two past domestic battery convictions, Riley is currently on probation following a conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, the judge was told. Riley is also awaiting trial on charges of trespassing and resisting arrest that Johnson said were connected to another incident that took place on CTA property.

When Johnson asked Cook County Associate Judge Anthony Calabrese to ban Riley from using the CTA, Assistant Public Defender Jarnail Kanda asked him to reject the request.

"I would object to the conditions, they are too vague and too broad — 'Using the CTA' — How about if later on he has to use the CTA to come to the court?" Kanda said. "This is too broad, judge."

Calabrese noted that Illinois criminal statutes have grown from the size of a comic book to that of an encyclopedia in recent years, so law enforcement should not have a problem finding something with which to charge Riley should he engage in further illegal activity aboard public transportation.

The judge granted the prosecution's request that Riley be forbidden from contacting the complaining witness in the case or possessing dangerous weapons ahead of trial, but Calabrese rejected the proposed CTA ban.

"I'm not going to get engaged in a litany of requirements, the only boundary of which is the imagination of the prosecution, in terms of special conditions of bond," Calabrese said.

The judge ordered Riley jailed while awaiting trial on the armed robbery charge unless he can come up with the $25,000 cash portion of his bail. Riley is due back in court Jan. 5 on the Evanston case and on Jan. 4 in his other pending criminal case in Cook County.