A 50-year-old man charged with federal terrorism for allegedly setting a woman on fire on a Chicago train had repeatedly violated court-ordered curfew and movement restrictions, according to court records. His electronic monitoring logs show multiple breaches in the days leading up to the Nov. 17 incident, raising questions about oversight of individuals under pretrial release.
The suspect, Lawrence Reed, was placed under electronic monitoring in August after a court denied prosecutors’ request to keep him jailed on felony charges related to a prior violent incident. Court transcripts reveal that Judge Teresa Molina-Gonzalez expressed reluctance to detain Reed, highlighting broader concerns over pretrial release decisions.
Reed’s monitoring records indicate multiple violations, including unauthorized departures from his home and prolonged non-compliance, leading to escalated alerts in the days preceding the train attack. The incident occurred on Nov. 17, with Reed allegedly dousing a 26-year-old woman with gasoline before attempting to ignite it, according to an ATF affidavit. The victim, identified as Bethany Magee, remains in critical condition after suffering severe burns.
The case has sparked debate over the effectiveness of pretrial monitoring programs, with Cook County prosecutors recently moving to revoke Reed’s release in the August battery case based on the terrorism charge. His next court date in the county case is scheduled for Dec. 4, while federal proceedings continue with a detention order in place.