A Cook County judge in Illinois dismissed a concern from state prosecutors about a repeat offender potentially attacking again after allegedly setting a 26-year-old woman on fire during her commute in Chicago, as indicated in court records.
“I can’t keep everyone locked up just because the state’s attorney says so,” Judge Teresa Molina-Gonzalez remarked during a late August hearing, according to records shared by CWB Chicago.
Lawrence Reed, 50, has been charged by federal authorities for an incident on November 17, where he reportedly filled a gas bottle at a gas station before boarding the Chicago Blue Line and subsequently dousing a young woman with fuel and igniting it.
U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros described the assault as both unprovoked and random in a press briefing.
The unnamed woman is currently in critical condition at Stroger Hospital’s burn unit in Chicago.
Reed has a significant criminal background, including 50 arrests and various felony convictions over the last three decades. He had been placed under an ankle monitor in late August due to an aggravated battery charge originating from an incident where he allegedly attacked a social worker at a psychiatric hospital.
During the August 22 court session, Assistant State’s Attorney Jerilyn Gumilla expressed serious concerns to Judge Molina Gonzalez.
The defendant’s sudden outburst was not provoked, as the victim was merely performing his duties. The injuries inflicted are severe and continue to affect the victim’s daily life.
This seems like a random act. An electronic monitor isn’t adequate to ensure community safety from another unexpected attack.
Witnesses reported that Reed shouted “burn me alive” before accosting the woman during the recent incident. Initially, she tried to escape inside a vehicle but was unable to avoid the flames. As outlined in a federal affidavit, Reed ignited the gasoline and watched as she caught fire.
The woman, engulfed in flames, attempted to roll on the vehicle floor to extinguish the blaze and was still on fire when the train reached Clark/Lake, where she collapsed on the platform.
Since this event took place on the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) rail network, Reed faces federal domestic terrorism charges.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson denounced the attack, labeling it an “isolated incident,” while noting that the CTA serves around a million daily commuters.
Nonetheless, prior incidents of violence have occurred on the transit system, resulting in fatalities, including a 2024 shooting that left four people hurt and one dead and a stabbing in June.
Research indicates that a crime is reported approximately every three hours on the CTA, with the Illinois Policy Institute highlighting that 1,356 crimes occurred in the year leading up to last September.
This recent attack has drawn parallels to the tragic murder of Ukrainian refugee Irina Zalutka on a commuter train in Charlotte, North Carolina, back in late August.
In both situations, the suspects had extensive criminal histories stretching back years.
Family members connected to the fire incident issued a statement on Thursday night, expressing gratitude for the community’s support and praising the care team at Stroger Hospital, although they didn’t provide any updates on the injured woman’s condition.
