A 24-year-old convicted felon who was released on parole about two weeks ago is accused of threatening to kill a transgender woman while brandishing a cudgel after choking and sexually assaulting her in the Lakeview neighborhood earlier this week, police said.
Rosha Banks forced the transgender woman, 24, into sexual acts without her consent in a gangway in the 3600 block of North Halsted Street on Monday, according to Officer Jessica Rocco, a spokeswoman for Chicago police.
After the alleged attack, the victim and Banks walked to the 800 block of West Addison Street. During the walk, Banks picked up a large wooden stick.
“The offender said multiple times, ‘I will kill you if you leave,’’’ Rocco said.
Banks then took her back to the Halsted address, where he “threatened to use force against the victim if she left the scene,’’ Rocco said.
The victim escaped in the early morning hours of Tuesday when Banks boarded a CTA train on Addison.
Police learned of the attack on Wednesday, when officers rushed to a call of a man with a knife at a commercial business at the Halsted address.
As police interviewed Banks, who was taken into custody in a bathroom stall, the victim approached officers and told them Banks was the man who’d sexually attacked her on Monday, Rocco said.
Transgender Support 