Man charged after setting his belongings, himself on fire on CTA Blue Line train
A man stood charged with arson and criminal damage to property Sunday after police said he set himself on fire on a CTA Blue Line train last week.
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A man stood charged with arson and criminal damage to property Sunday after police said he set himself on fire on a CTA Blue Line train last week.
Police said they responded just after 6 p.m. Friday after Jesus Martinez intentionally set fire to his personal belongings on a moving train at the Damen stop in the heart of Wicker Park. Martinez's person also caught fire, police said.
The Chicago Transit Authority extended the No. 93 California/Dodge bus route to the Logan Square Blue Line subway station. The extension went into effect Sunday.
A grand jury this week indicted a man on charges of setting a young woman on fire on a Chicago Transit Authority train last month, and also setting a fire outside City Hall.
Days after new Cook County Chief Judge Charles Beach ordered an urgent review of the county's electronic monitoring program, Sheriff Tom Dart said this crisis isn't new, and that he's been warning lawmakers of problems for years.
The man charged with pushing a CTA passenger onto the tracks at a Blue Line station in Chicago's western suburbs on Monday was ordered held in jail, after repeatedly interrupting the judge and prosecutors during his first court appearance on Wednesday.
One day after he was sworn in, new Cook County Chief Judge Charles Beach said he is ordering an urgent review of the county's troubled electronic monitoring program.
A Chicago man has been charged with attempted murder, accused of punching a senior citizen and knocking him onto the tracks at a CTA Blue Line station in west suburban Forest Park.
Charles Beach was sworn in on Monday as Cook County's first new chief judge in 24 years, and takes over amid a political firestorm over what appears to be systemic issues with how accused criminals are being monitored before trial.
An attack on a CTA train has a local outreach group taking action. Volunteers with the nonprofit Violence Interrupters said they're ready to patrol trains themselves to stop violence before it starts.
The electronic monitoring system in Cook County has come under increased scrutiny, after a woman was set on fire in a horrific arson attack on the Blue Line, with critics demanding answers as to why the suspect wasn't already behind bars.
Lawrence Reed, who has an extensive criminal history, violated his electronic monitoring prior to the attack.
Lawrence Reed, 50, was previously arrested over 70 times and was on an ankle monitor with a curfew after an alleged violent attack in August on a social worker at a psychiatric hospital.
The office said they are reviewing all actions taken in the case, in which a man on electronic monitoring is accused of setting a woman on fire on the train.
A judge ordered the man charged with setting a woman on fire on the CTA Blue Line to be held in custody while he awaits trial.
For the first time since a woman was set on fire on board a CTA Blue Line train this week, her family was speaking out on Thursday.
Lawrence Reed is charged with terrorism, and it is not his first run-in with the law. Lauren Victory has been following Reed’s case all morning, including video released by the FBI.
Federal charges were issued Wednesday against a man accused of setting a woman on fire on a CTA Blue Line train in downtown Chicago this week.
Lawrence Reed, 50, was charged in a criminal complaint with committing a terrorist attack or other violence on a mass transportation system — a federal offense rather than a state offense.
Lawrence Reed is facing federal terrorism charges after authorities said he set a woman on fire unprovoked on a Chicago Transit Authority Blue Line train this week. Jermont Terry reports on Reed's court appearance, Sara Machi reports on his criminal background, and federal authorities break down the charges at a news conference.
Sources said more than half the woman's body was burned in the attack in the Blue Line subway downtown. Tara Molina reports.
An arson investigation is underway after a woman was set on fire while riding a CTA Blue Line in Chicago's Loop on Monday night.
An arson investigation is underway after a woman was set on fire while riding a CTA Blue Line in Chicago's Loop on Monday night.
A death investigation is underway after a woman was hit by a CTA Blue Line train near Logan Square early Friday morning.
Chicago police are asking for help identifying the man who stabbed a CTA passenger on a Blue Line platform over the weekend on the Near West Side.
As the season of giving comes to a close, the season of returning begins, but this year it could cost you more.
On Nov. 4, UPS Flight 2976 bound for Hawaii crashed moments after takeoff from Louisville International Airport, where UPS has its global aviation hub.
While much of the city is quiet on Christmas Day, Chicago's Chinatown buzzes with tradition, food and family.
It was an extra special Christmas Day for 50 recruits from Naval Station Great Lakes, who were surprised with a trip off base in the middle of bootcamp for some holiday cheer.
More than 1,500 people are feeling the Christmas joy thanks to St. Sabina Church in Chicago's Auburn Gresham neighborhood.
The strikes come after President Trump spent weeks accusing the West African country's government of failing to rein in the persecution of Christians.
The message, aired on Channel 4 on Christmas Day, reflected on the impact of President Trump's second term in office thus far.
Pope Leo XIV has revealed he privately urged Gov. JB Pritzker not to sign a bill legalizing medical assistance in dying in Illinois.
President Trump invoked a law called Title 10 to bring members of the Illinois National Guard under federal service over the objections of state and local leaders.
A host of new laws in Illinois will take effect on Jan. 1, 2026. From gun safety to rogue towers, protection from squatters, medical assistance in dying, protections for immigrants and more, here are some of the most notable changes in the new year.
A new report shines a light on electricity shortages that Illinois could face in less than 10 years.
With less than two weeks until Christmas, if you're sending gifts to people far from home, the deadlines to get them there on time are fast approaching.
A condo owner in Country Club Hills says he's forced to sell his home after his condo association failed to reimburse him for repairs to his leaking roof. Edward Hadnott's condo has sat empty since a major roof leak in 2022.
The U.S. stopped minting pennies this week, and some groups have issued a warning about the headaches that can create for some businesses and consumers.
Why is one school in the west Chicago suburb of Lisle paying a water bill three times higher than another? The answer has to do with a private utility company.
Millions of people with an Affordable Care Act health plan face a massive jump in premiums next year — this chart shows just how much.
It's the holiday season, which means it's the most common time of year for norovirus to spread. Here's what you need to know about this winter stomach bug.
A study conducted in part by Chicago's Northwestern Medicine found that tanning beds not only triple the risk of melanoma, but can also damage DNA across nearly the whole skin surface.
An investigation into the case of a Michigan man who contracted rabies after an organ transplant provided more details on the infection's origin.
The newest measles vaccination numbers released by Chicago Public Schools shows immunizations are finally moving in the right direction.
The Chicago Bears are expanding their search for a new stadium to Northwest Indiana, even though they already own land in Arlington Heights and have also proposed a new lakefront stadium in Chicago.
A Culver's is coming to Chicago's South Loop, a real estate broker has confirmed.
A new vision for passenger rail is on track in southeastern Wisconsin. The MARK Passenger Rail Commission held its inaugural meeting on December 5, 2025, at Racine City Hall.
U.S. Steel says it'll resume making steel slabs at its Granite City Works plant in Illinois amid strengthening demand.
Traffic at O'Hare International Airport is growing faster than expected, and this has Chicago city leaders wanting to make big changes to future construction plans at the airport.
The message, aired on Channel 4 on Christmas Day, reflected on the impact of President Trump's second term in office thus far.
The singer said an MRI showed a cancerous spot on one of his lungs after he recovered from a lengthy bout of bronchitis.
James Ransone, the actor who played Ziggy Sobotka in the HBO series "The Wire" and appeared in many other TV shows and movies, has died.
Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre is hosting "The Phantom of the Opera," and staff offered a firsthand look at the iconic chandelier inside the theater this week.
The special features interviews with Kathy Bates, Annette Bening, Albert Brooks, Michael Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland, Jerry O'Connell and Mandy Patinkin.
Morning showers with mild temperatures Friday. Highs around 50.
No ticket, no problem; some airports are starting to provide gate passes that allow people to go to the gate to meet or stay with arriving and departing friends and family.
As the season of giving comes to a close, the season of returning begins, but this year it could cost you more.
California, soaked from days of relentless rain and recovering from mudslides in mountain towns, was hit with another powerful storm Christmas Day.
President Donald Trump said the U.S. launched a “powerful and deadly" strike against Islamic State forces in Nigeria, after weeks of accusing their government of failing to rein in the persecution of Christians.
As the season of giving comes to a close, the season of returning begins, but this year it could cost you more.
While much of the city is quiet on Christmas Day, Chicago's Chinatown buzzes with tradition, food and family.
For the ninth year in a row, a Chicago nonprofit lined up a caravan of cars and toys to make surprise stops around the city, mainly on the South Side.
"Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria," President Trump said.
On Nov. 4, UPS Flight 2976 bound for Hawaii crashed moments after takeoff from Louisville International Airport, where UPS has its global aviation hub.
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Some Chicago area hospitals are at risk of significant flooding both in and around the buildings, according to new KFF Health News/Fathom models.
Lawmakers in Springfield are looking to address the high water bills being reported in some suburbs from customers of Illinois American Water.
Electric bills in the Chicago area could go up as much as $70 in the next three years because of data centers, according to the Citizens Utility Board.
Advocates and legislators are seeking solutions and and accountability for a pattern of Chicago police arresting Black gun owners on firearms charges despite valid FOID and CCL licenses.
One year ago, the Chicago Bears were fighting for draft positioning. Now they've clinched a playoff spot in the first year of a new coaching regime.
As the 11-4 Chicago Bears prepare for their Sunday night matchup with the 11-4 San Francisco 49ers, one player earned an extra Christmas present from the league thanks to his impressive performance against the Green Bay Packers.
Travis Konecny scored and added his 300th career assist, leading the Philadelphia Flyers past the Blackhawks 3-1 and handing depleted Chicago its sixth straight loss.
The Bulls trailed 117-107 but closed the game on a 19-6 run.
Three Chicago Bears players have been named to the 2026 NFC Pro Bowl roster: safety Kevin Byard III, center Drew Dalman, and left guard Joe Thuney.
A woman was released on electronic monitoring Wednesday after authorities said she drove drunk and caused a crash that injured a family of four in Lombard, Illinois.
Multiple cars were broken into this week in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood.
Four women have been charged with leading police on a high-speed chase after stealing from a retail store in the west Chicago suburb of Villa Park.
A woman has been charged with attacking four people at a CTA bus stop in the Lawndale neighborhood, including a woman she allegedly slashed with a broken beer bottle after threatening that woman's mother.
Three teens have been charged with sexually assaulting a classmate this past summer at a graduation party for St. Viator High School students.
