November 20, 2013 – Chicago police on Wednesday announced an arrest and charges in the August 6 rape of a woman in a bookstore on East Illinois Street.

Michael Roberson (left), age 30, who lives on South Ingleside Avenue, south of Interstate 90, was charged with kidnapping and aggravated criminal sexual assault. He appeared in bond court on November 16.

The woman was closing her store at around 10:15 p.m. when Roberson allegedly approached her and claimed to have left something inside. When she opened the door and let him in, he pulled a knife, according to police, forced her to a restroom in the back of the store, and assaulted her. The woman’s husband walked into the store, heard her screaming, and with a baseball bat chased the suspect out onto Illinois Street. Police say the 36-year-old man was battered by Roberson before he fled.

(Right) Area where the attack occurred – East Illinois Street, looking west from Wabash Avenue. (Click on images to view larger versions.)

The incident attracted the crime-fighting group Guardian Angels, who handed out safety tips and patrolled the area.

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