Woman sexually assaulted at Jackson CTA Red Line station as agency works to improve safety
Chicago police are investigating after a woman was sexually assaulted on CTA property in the Loop early Thursday morning.
Police said a 35-year-old woman was on CTA property in the 200 block of South State Street at the Jackson Red Line stop just before 3 a.m. when she was sexually assaulted by an unknown suspect. The suspect then ran off in an unknown direction.
Witnesses said the woman was in a wheelchair, and they heard her scream as she was being attacked. The witnesses said they heard the attack as they stood on the lower platform, but could not see it. They believe the attack may have happened near one of the elevators near the Red Line.
The woman was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in good condition.
No one is currently in custody and investigation by Chicago police is ongoing.
Police have not released any further information or any description of the suspect.
As police work to identify the attacker, the CTA said it is rolling out a new pilot program that would put non-police safety specialists across the transit system who would help riders who are unhoused, in mental health crisis or who cause disruption.
The Federal Transit Administration and Trump administration recently threatened to withhold federal funding from the CTA unless the agency meets their demands for safety changes.
"This is a response to the federal government that we have a plan; it's not just, 'things are great here,'" said Joe Schwieterman, DePaul University transportation expert. "I think the public, though, is demanding something like this unrelated to Washington."
Earlier this week, 42nd Ward Ald. Brendan Reilly, who represents a large section of downtown including where this Red Line attack happened, said the CTA should have police on trains rather than private security.
"I think the CTA should consider jettisoning their security contract," Reilly said. "They should be using CPD officers on an overtime program and have them actually deployed onto trains from time to time."
But the plan raises questions. The CTA wants outside partners from the private sector to design and staff the program through the "CTA Innovation Studio." The details — who those specialists are, how they'll be trained and what authority they will have — are still unclear.
The pilot zones have been chose based on data and community feedback, but CTA hasn't said how it will measure success.
Leading up to the overnight Red Line attack, data analyzed by the CBS News Data Team shows that so far in 2025 there have been 834 violent crimes on CTA trains buses and properties, which is a 6.4% decrease from the same time last year. However, it is 65% higher than it was 10 years ago.
Schwieterman said he's encouraged by any policy progress.
"It's long overdue for a holistic policy to help the unhoused but make the transportation system seem safer," he said. "We've lost a lot of riders that won't consider the train or won't do it after dark and that compromises the vitality of downtown."
CBS News Chicago has reached out to CTA for an interview for more about the pilot program's cost, oversight and timeline, and are waiting to hear back.