An 18-year-old Lawndale man has been charged in two robberies on Blue Line trains within the last month.
Rickari Oneal was arrested Monday in the 1300 block of South Homan Avenue in Lawndale, Chicago police said.
Police said they identified him as a man who punched a 30-year-old man and stole his property aboard a Blue Line train Feb. 13 near the Halsted station.
While in custody, Oneal also allegedly admitted to threatening a 17-year-old boy with an implied weapon on another Blue Line train, police said. He allegedly punched him in the chest and took his belongings, police said.
Oneal is charged with two counts of robbery and two counts of aggravated battery in a public place, police said.
He is due in court Tuesday.
Last week, Chicago police announced that SWAT officers would begin patrolling CTA trains to get a handle on rising mass transit violence.
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Overall crime also has been creeping up on CTA property for the past five years. There were 6,321 reports of crime last year, up from 4,116 in 2015.
