Video, new photos of Blue Line robber who pretended to be a cop released

Authorities have released surveillance footage of the man wanted for pretending to be an undercover police officer and robbing a 70-year-old man early Tuesday at a CTA Blue Line station in the Loop.

The man was waiting for a train at 2:57 a.m. at the Monroe Blue Line station, 114 S. Dearborn, when the suspect walked up and asked to see the man’s ID, claiming to be an undercover police officer, Chicago Police said.

When the man took out his wallet, the suspect tried to grab it from him, police said. When the man resisted, the robber punched him in the eye and ran away with his wallet.

The man was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where his condition was stabilized, police said.

Investigators released surveillance footage and additional photos Wednesday of the suspect boarding a train about 15 minutes before the robbery. Police had previously released surveillance photos Tuesday afternoon and are asking the public for help identifying him.

The suspect was described as a man between 50 and 55 years old, standing between 6 feet and 6-foot-2 and weighing 180-220 pounds, police said. He was wearing a gray knit cap, a black puffy coat, blue jeans and tan boots and was carrying a black garment bag.

Anyone with information about the robbery was asked to call Area Central detectives at (312) 747-8384.