Man on Pretrial Release for Multiple Cases Arrested in Violent Red Line Robbery
A man involved in a violent robbery on the Red Line this summer was found to be on pretrial release for three separate cases at the time of the crime, according to prosecutors.
The incident took place shortly after midnight on July 19, where four individuals confronted a 22-year-old Evanston man on a train near the Morse Station. The victim was assaulted, robbed of his phone, credit card, and driver’s license, and pepper-sprayed by one of the perpetrators.
Chicago police released surveillance images of the robbery suspects ten days later, seeking public assistance in identifying them. A Chicago police officer who had recently arrested 25-year-old Martel Mason recognized him from the bulletin as a member of the group.
Mason was arrested by investigators while appearing in court for one of his pending cases at 26th and California. Judge Ankur Srivastava granted the state’s request to detain him in connection with the Red Line robbery.
Court records reveal that Mason has four active criminal cases pending, including a felony retail theft from August 2023, a misdemeanor retail theft on the Magnificent Mile in March 2024, and a misdemeanor battery in Rogers Park on July 9, 2024.
Prosecutors filed a motion to revoke Mason’s pretrial release on July 29, ten days after the robbery, but he remained on the streets until his recent arrest.
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