Chicago Police

Activist Raises Concern After Woman Assaulted on Parked Bus

Community activist Andrew Holmes says a recent crime in a West Side neighborhood has led him to fight to get parked buses off the street.

Early Sunday morning, Chicago police say a 20-year-old woman had been sexually assaulted by a man at gunpoint in the 4500 block of West Grenshaw Street. Police say the attack happened inside of a parked bus.

“It’s a safety concern and this shouldn’t have happened to that young lady,” Holmes said.

The bus belongs to Aries Charter, which parks many of its buses in gated lots. But others sit in an open lot or parked on the street, where their doors remain unlocked.

Ralph Trevino owns the company.

“That’s how they are," he said. "You go to any CTA bus, they are the same way."

Holmes has made it his mission to get Aries to change the practice.

“CTA are in a lot secured at a CTA station, I check those buses too," he said. "They got security sitting there watching those buses, these (Aries) buses are a residential street."

Trevino says his company will make some big changes.

“We are going to secure them one way or another that’s our goal ... as soon as possible,” he said.

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