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A 50-year-old man being questioned in Monday’s Chicago train attack — where a woman was set on fire — has a long arrest record and was previously freed by a judge after allegedly assaulting a social worker, according to a report.
The person of interest has 22 prior arrests since 2016 and 53 criminal cases in Cook County dating back to 1993, including nine felonies that led to guilty pleas — though only two resulted in jail time, CWB Chicago reported.
In August, he was charged with aggravated battery after allegedly knocking a female social worker unconscious at a psychiatric hospital, according to the outlet.
Despite prosecutors’ request to keep him detained, a judge released him with electronic monitoring, the outlet reported, citing court documents. He was only permitted to leave his home from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays.
CHICAGO WOMAN SET ON FIRE DURING ARGUMENT ON CTA TRAIN, POLICE SAY
A Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) train arrives at a station. A woman was set on fire Monday aboard a CTA train, police said. (Getty Images)
Neither the man nor the judge was publicly identified, as no charges have been filed yet in the train attack.
The person of interest was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon.
A Chicago Transit Authority train pulls into the Damen Ave. station on Aug. 12, 2024, in Chicago. (AP)
BLUE CITY CRIME CRISIS: REPEAT OFFENDER STRIKES AGAIN AFTER CHARLOTTE TRAIN MURDER
Police said a 26-year-old woman was riding a Chicago Transit Authority train around 9:25 p.m. Monday when she got into an argument with a man. The altercation turned physical, and the suspect poured a liquid on her and set it on fire.
A Chicago Transit Authority sign is seen in Chicago, on Oct. 14, 2022. (Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The suspect fled when the train stopped. The woman exited and collapsed on the platform. The flames were extinguished before first responders arrived.
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She was hospitalized in critical condition with severe burns. No update on her condition was immediately available.
Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.