An Oak Park man celebrating one good deed didn't know he'd be immediately called upon to perform another Tuesday.
Craig Mathis was heading home at about 2 a.m. after celebrating 11 months since he donated a kidney to a childhood friend.
He and another friend were walking near the Forest Park CTA station when they heard a woman's screams.
"I thought maybe somebody was playing music loudly and there was a scream in one of the songs," Mathis said.
But they soon realized the screams were real, and noticed a woman being attacked by a man near the El tracks.
"He called 911, I used my CTA pass and jumped through the turnstile, ran down and made sure the woman was OK," Mathis said.
Mathis said right before he was going to tackle the man, Forest Park Police officers arrived and arrested him.
"She was relieved that the situation was over and thankful that she was OK," Mathis said.
"It felt good to prevent something serious from happening."
Some people are calling Mathis, the owner of a property management company, a hero, but he's taking it all in stride.
"I appreciate all the gracious comments, and I believe them, but I'm not going to toot my own horn. I'm just Craig Mathis."
