The second teenager charged with allegedly pushing a former marine into a moving Red Line train last week was ordered held without bail Friday.
Fajour Hodges, 19, of Humboldt Park, was charged with first-degree murder in the April 7 death of 29-year-old Mamadou Balde. Hodges allegedly punched Balde and helped push him into the train, killing him..
Hodges was arrested Thursday evening in the 5000 block of South Wentworth — two days after a warrant was issued for his arrest in Balde’s killing.
At the time of the attack, Hodges was free on bail while awaiting trial on a pair of felony charges, court records show. That case stemmed from a Sept. 22 theft arrest in the Chicago Police Department’s 18th District, which covers the Near North Side and a portion of the downtown area.
Hodges was charged with theft and indicted the following month and hit with an additional retail theft charge, court records show. He was expected to appear at a court hearing in Skokie on Monday — the day before the warrant was issued — though it’s unclear if he showed.
His arrest comes less than a week after his alleged accomplice, 18-year-old Ryan Munn, was ordered held without bail in Balde’s killing. Cook County orosecutors said Munn admitted to taking part in the attack, which was captured on surveillance video.
Balde was approaching passengers last Tuesday evening at the Jackson Red Line station platform when he started talking to Hodges, prosecutors said. Balde smiled and jokingly put his arms up as if to fight, and Hodges allegedly punched Balde in the face.
Munn jumped in, and the pair allegedly pushed Balde, who fell in between two train cars, prosecutors said. He was dragged along the platform until his head and upper body slammed into a metal partition inside a tunnel, and he was killed.
Prosecutors noted that stills taken from the surveillance footage were shown to officers from the 18th District, who recognized both suspects, allowing detectives to create photo lineups.
Balde’s father, Al Balde, wiped away tears as the attack was recounted during Munn’s bail hearing Sunday.
“Throwing someone alive into a moving train, you will never, never hate someone more than that,” he said.
Contributing: Andy Grimm
