Overview
- Demetrius Thurman, 40, was charged with first-degree murder after prosecutors said his phone captured him fatally stabbing 37-year-old Dominique Pollion as he slept on a Blue Line train early Saturday.
- Detectives used CTA surveillance images and a state facial-recognition search to identify Thurman, who was arrested Sunday near Union Station with his phone allegedly containing videos of the attack.
- In a separate case, prosecutors said Pedro Villarreal, 34, took a Good Samaritan’s gun during a Dec. 23 Pink Line struggle and fatally shot Raymond S. Harrison Jr., leading to murder and related charges.
- The Federal Transit Administration rejected CTA’s recent safety update and set a mid-March deadline for a stronger plan or it will withhold up to 25% of certain federal funds, estimated at about $50 million.
- As prosecutions advance, the CTA reports more police on its system and a grassroots group called Violence Interrupters has begun overnight rides to deter crime.