Last Monday, 50-year-old Lawrence Reed is accused of pouring gasoline on a 26-year-old woman aboard a train near Clark-Lake station and setting her on fire.
Reed had been released just months earlier under electronic-monitoring conditions after an August assault in which he allegedly struck a social worker at the locked psychiatric wing of MacNeal Hospital.
Video showed that when “Reed became irate and slapped the victim in the face with an open palm,” the prosecutor said. “Her vision went black, and she lost consciousness for several seconds. One of the victim’s co-workers rushed over and helped the victim walk down to her office, and the victim was then taken to the emergency room,” in a description of the event.
The public defender argued that imprisonment wasn’t the correct option. “Mr. Reed needs services, he does not need to be incarcerated for being mentally ill and acting in accordance with his mental illness,” said the defense. (RELATED: Geyser Gone: Slender Man Attacker Cuts Monitor, Sparks Wisconsin Manhunt)
Prosecutors had strongly objected to the bail, warning at the August 22nd detention hearing that monitoring “could not protect the victim or the community from another vicious, random, and spontaneous attack.” They cited Reed’s long criminal record, including a 2020 arson conviction, multiple felonies and misdemeanors.
The release decision came under the oversight of Teresa Molina‑Gonzalez, a judge of the Cook County Circuit Court, who told the prosecutor, “I can’t keep everybody in jail because the State’s Attorney wants me to.” (RELATED: Mequon Sees Spike In Crime And Break Ins As Gangs With South American Ties Are To Blame)
Judge Molina-Gonzalez set what was described as “the highest level” of electronic monitoring yet permitted Reed to leave home for 40 hours a week, a significantly broader allowance than the 16 hours mandated for most defendants under Illinois law.
Later, on September 12, another judge, Ralph Meczyk, approved further modifications to allow Reed even more time outside his home, for church activities. The subsequent attack aboard the CTA train has prompted federal charges against Reed, including allegations of violence on public transportation and terrorism.