Police: Man Followed Woman Off Blue Line, Attempted Sexual Assault
CHICAGO (STMW) --A South Side man was ordered held in lieu of $300,000 bail Saturday after allegedly attempting to sexually assault a woman he followed off a CTA Blue Line train, the Sun-Times is reporting.
Leverne Burnette, 21, turned himself in to police Friday night with a family member.
About 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, Burnette allegedly began masturbating while sitting across from a 19-year-old woman on a Blue Line train. When she left the train in the 900 block of West Van Buren Street, he followed her two blocks. He then stood behind her, took off her pants and tried to rape her. The woman's screams halted the attack and Burnette fled, prosecutors said.
CTA surveillance showed images of Burnette leaving the train after the woman left the train at the Lake Street station, prosecutors said.
Burnette admitted to police he masturbated on the train and followed the woman. He also admitted to pulling her pants down, prosecutors said.
Burnette, of the 4300 block of South Indiana Avenue, is charged with aggravated battery in a public place and attempted criminal sexual assault by the use or threat of force, according to Chicago Police.
Cook County Judge Maria Kuriakos-Ciesil set bond for Burnette at $300,000 on Saturday.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2014. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
