Timeline: Federal charge follows years of arrests for suspect in Chicago CTA arson attack
CHICAGO - A Chicago man long known to law enforcement is facing a federal charge after authorities say he set a woman on fire aboard a CTA Blue Line train Monday night.
Lawrence Reed, 50, was charged Wednesday in connection with the attack. He was initially detained as a person of interest on Tuesday before being taken into federal custody by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Chicago Field Division.
The victim, a 26-year-old woman, remains hospitalized in critical condition with severe burns, officials said.
During a news conference Wednesday afternoon, authorities released additional details about Reed, the charge and the incident on the train. They also said Reed has a lengthy criminal record.
Below is a timeline of Reed’s criminal history dating back to 2017.
Timeline of criminal history:
May 2017
- Arrested Friday, May 19, 2017 at 1:14 a.m. at 4807 W. Congress Parkway.
- Charged with: Driving revoked/suspended license (DUI/SSS 2nd), obstruction of traffic by motorist, driving in reverse when unsafe, improper use of turn signal, driving on revoked license, and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.
April 2018
- Arrested Monday, April 2, 2018 at 7:23 a.m. at 530 S. Pulaski Road.
- Charged with: Soliciting unlawful business, engaging in prohibited transactions, and failure to comply with through-street regulations.
June 2018
- Arrested Tuesday, June 19, 2018 at 6:27 a.m. at 332 S. Washtenaw Avenue.
- Charged with: Criminal trespass to real property and criminal damage to property under $300.
July 2018
- Arrested Friday, July 13, 2018 at 9:11 a.m. at 1320 W. Van Buren Street.
- Charged with: Battery – physical contact and possession of a controlled substance.
April 2019
- Arrested Monday, April 1, 2019 at 5:37 p.m. at 1315 S. Spaulding Avenue.
- Charged with: Driving on revoked license, three charges of no turn signals, operating an uninsured motor vehicle.
December 2019
- Arrested Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019, at 8:20 a.m. at 4917 N. Milwaukee Avenue.
- Charged with: Criminal damage to government property valued between $500 and $10,000.
February 2020
- Arrested Friday, Feb. 21, 2020 at 11:30 p.m. at 430 S. Halsted Street.
- Charged with: Battery - physical contact.
February 28, 2020
- Arrested Friday, Feb. 28, 2020 at 11:20 a.m. at 400 S. State Street.
- Charged with: Two counts of battery-physical contact.
- Details: According to a previous FOX 32 report, Reed was charged for allegedly punching four women in the face near Harold Washington Library in the Loop.
April 2020
- Arrested Thursday, April 23, 2020 at 2:19 p.m. at 111 W. Wacker Drive.
- Charged with: Aggravated arson – knowingly damaging property while persons were present.
- Details: Reed was charged for allegedly starting a fire at the Thompson Center minutes before Gov. JB Pritzker gave his daily COVID-19 news conference in the building.
December 2021
- Arrested Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021 at 3:38 p.m. at 6942 S. Western Avenue.
- Charged with: Assault
December 21, 2021
- Arrested Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021 at 11:03 a.m. at 121 N. La Salle Street.
- Charged with: Battery - cause bodily harm.
June 2022
- Arrested Wednesday, June 1, 2022 at 12:18 p.m. at 2875 W. 19th Street.
- Charged with: Battery - physical contact.
January 2024
- Arrested: Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024 at 12:25 a.m. at 2131 N. Harlem Avenue.
- Charged with: Criminal damage to property <$500.
November 2025
- Arrested: Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025 at 11:30 a.m. in the 100 block of West Washington Street.
- Charged with: Committing a terrorist attack or other violence against a mass transportation system.
- Details: Reed was charged for allegedly setting a woman riding a Blue Line CTA train on fire Monday night in the Loop.
What's next:
Reed faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison if convicted in the CTA arson attack, prosecutors said.
The Source: The information in this article was provided by the Chicago Police Department and another FOX 32 report.