Ejected Metra rider charged with throwing bike at conductor
By Beth Kramer ekramer@stmedianetwork.com March 14, 2013 4:32PM
Robert O'Leary, 50, of Libertyville charged with aggravated battery to a Metra conductor. | Special to Sun-Times Media
Updated: March 15, 2013 9:34AM
A Libertyville man has pleaded not guilty to assaulting a Metra conductor at the Lake Forest commuter station.
Robert O’Leary, 50, was charged with nine counts of felony aggravated battery and one count of criminal misdemeanor aggravated assault for the Dec. 21 incident at a Lake Forest Metra station, according to Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Reginald Mathews.
O’Leary allegedly threw his bicycle while a Metra conductor’s back was turned in retaliation for being ejected from the train, Mathews said. The conductor asked him to exit the train at the next stop, which was Lake Forest. O’Leary exited the train after the conductor and threw his bike at the conductor’s back, Mathews said.
O’Leary then got into a struggle with Metra employees until Metra police and Lake Forest police responded, Mathews said.
During the struggle, the conductor was banged up and suffered a fractured thumb in the bike attack, Mathews said.
O’Leary was in Lake County Circuit Court Thursday for a brief hearing. He is due back in court April 4. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
He is in custody at Lake County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bond, according to jail records.
Another Libertyville man, Matthew Padour, was convicted last month of four counts of aggravated battery for punching a Metra conductor over a fare dispute. Padour is due for sentencing April 15.
