Woman, two others, chase down robber in River North

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Jenar Sanders / photo from Chicago Police

Updated: January 27, 2012 11:13PM

A woman who had her wallet stolen on a CTA bus in River North early Friday chased the man who robbed her, and after getting help from two men, cornered the robber in an alley until police arrived and arrested him.

About 12:35 a.m., Linette Kossow, 50, was riding on a CTA bus on the 600 block of North State with her open purse on her lap when a man reached inside and grabbed her wallet, a police source said. He got off the bus and ran, a police source said.

The woman got off the bus and chased after the robber, who was 6-foot-3 and 270 pounds, while screaming. Two men, ages 26 and 42, who were in the area at the time, heard her screams and joined in the pursuit of the suspect, police News Affairs Officer John Mirabelli said.

The woman, with the help of the Good Samaritans, one of whom was a homeless man, chased the suspect, 18-year-old Jenar Sanders, into an alley off Michigan near Superior and held him until police arrived, about 12:50 a.m., police said. The homeless man told Sanders, “I’m homeless, and even I wouldn’t take a wallet,” police said.

Sanders, of the 7200 block of South Coles Avenue, was charged with one felony count of theft and one count of violating bond — he was out on bond on a criminal damage to property charge, Mirabelli said.

Sanders was expected to appear for a bond hearing Friday.