A man accused of robbing and sexually assaulting more than a dozen women walking alone during a 2012 spree in the Humboldt Park and Wicker Park neighborhoods has been sentenced to 40 years in prison.
According to the Cook County state’s attorney ‘s office, Vidal Rainey, 25, pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault, Armed Robbery, Attempt Armed Robbery and Robbery in connection with 19 separate cases that occurred in Chicago’s Humboldt Park and Wicker Park neighborhoods.
According to prosecutors, Rainey went on a robbery spree, targeting women who were walking alone and in some cases threatening victims with sexual assault.
The robberies followed a similar pattern in which Rainey would approach the victims and produced what appeared to be a handgun and demanded money, cell phones and credit cards.
In one case, Rainey forced a 14-year-old victim into a gangway where he robbed her of $15 and then sexually assaulted her at gunpoint.
Rainey was arrested by Chicago Police after being caught on surveillance video using one of the stolen credit cards at a gas station. Rainey’s fingerprints and the gun used in the robberies, which turned out to be a BB gun, were recovered from the stolen car that Rainey had been driving.
Rainey pleaded guilty during a hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building before Judge Thaddeus Wilson, who imposed the 40 year sentence.
Source: Chicago Sun Times