UPLAND, Ind. – The 26-year-old lady set on hearth by a lunatic with a prolonged rap sheet on a Chicago prepare is “very soft-spoken, very mild’’ and an “extremely sensible’’ former honors pupil, a good friend mentioned Monday.
Sufferer Bethany MaGee’s “fantastic” church-going household is now reeling as she fights for all times, lined in ugly burns, buddies and neighbors mentioned.
”“We simply know they’re going by means of a tough time, so we’re praying for them,” mentioned an area who lives close to the household of their tiny tight-knit Christian neighborhood.
MaGee was driving a CTA Blue Line prepare Nov. 17 when Marcus Reed, 50 — who has beforehand been arrested 72 occasions — abruptly doused her with gasoline and used a lighter to set her ablaze, authorities mentioned.
“She [is] extremely sensible. Very smooth spoken, very mild. Very sensible,” a former high-school classmate informed The Put up.
The younger man, who goes by Ethan, mentioned MaGee was an avid reader who took honors courses at their highschool in Indiana.
MaGee hails from Upland, an enclave of fewer than 4,000 folks house to Taylor College.
She was raised by a doting household, the neighbor mentioned.
“They’re a beautiful household. …About as loving as you could be,” the resident mentioned, stressing the dad and mom’ need for privateness as they course of the tragedy.
Reed has 22 prior arrests since 2016 alone and 53 prison circumstances in Prepare dinner County courting again to 1993 — 9 of them felonies for which he pleaded responsible, officers mentioned.
However Prepare dinner County Choose Teresa Molina-Gonzalez freed Reed on a felony aggravated battery cost for slapping a social employee so laborious that she was knocked out throughout an Aug. 19 assault contained in the psychiatric ward of the MacNeal Hospital, court docket data present.
A decide let Reed stroll free with an ankle monitor regardless of the prosecution’s request to maintain him behind bars.
“This could by no means have occurred if this thug had been behind bars. But Chicago lets repeat offenders roam the streets,” US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy raged on social media Sunday.
Reed now faces federal terrorism fees linked to the mindless assault towards MaGee.
“It seems like he’s coping with critical mental-health points, not that that’s an excuse,” Ethan mentioned.
“It’s tragic and disturbing. I bear in mind my first ideas have been, ‘You hear about plenty of crimes, however that simply appears so extraordinarily violent.’ “
Surveillance footage confirmed a person matching Reed’s description creep up behind MaGee round 9:30 p.m. and douse her with liquid from a bottle. MaGee tried to flee, however the man chased her down and ignited the gas.
MaGee staggered off the prepare on the subsequent cease however collapsed on the platform. The lady sustained extreme burns to her face and physique and stays in vital situation, CBS 6 reported Monday.
