Man Sentenced to 4½ Years for Assault on Red Line Train
A man with a violent criminal history, Joshua Savado, has been sentenced to 4½ years for knocking a man unconscious on a Red Line train in the Loop. Savado, 34, pleaded guilty to aggravated battery causing great bodily harm in exchange for the sentence from Judge Shelley Sutker-Dermer, court records show.
On October 11 last year, Savado and the 53-year-old victim were on the same Red Line train car when Savado screamed at the victim to “get away” from his bike. Minutes later, Savado struck the victim in the face without provocation, knocking him unconscious. Savado then continued to attack the victim while he was defenseless on the floor of the train.
Camera footage from the train car showed the assault, and when the train arrived at Lake Street, Savado dragged the victim’s body onto the platform before returning to the train car and continuing his journey. The victim suffered four facial fractures and had to undergo surgery to repair his eye.
Savado’s sentence will be reduced by 50% for good behavior, and with credit for time served in jail pending trial, he is expected to be paroled on January 12, 2026.
Previous Arrests
Savado’s previous arrests include:
- A misdemeanor battery charge for punching a Jewel employee in the nose at the company’s 550 North State location in May 2023.
- A charge of misdemeanor battery for an incident at Chick-fil-A in September last year.
- An incident in 2015 where he slapped a man in a wheelchair and engaged in a physical altercation with arresting officers.
- A robbery at the North-Clybourn Red Line station in 2015.
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