Former PiPress transit reporter mugged at light rail station

Photo by Andrew Ciscel

It was his first time buying a Metro Transit light rail ticket and as luck would have it, former Pioneer Press transit reporter Chuck Laszewski was mugged at the Lake Street station.

Laszewski was on his way to the Twins game with a neighbor on Sunday from the Lake Street station when they were struggling to work the ticket machine. They were then caught off guard by two muggers around 12:45 p.m.

Laszewski laughed at the irony. "The minute I go use transit, I get popped," he told the Strib. More from the Star Tribune:

The attackers punched the men in the face, then chased them down the platform when they fought back and tried to run away. The muggers, whom Laszewski described as two men between the ages of 18 and 22, knocked down Thomas and took his wallet.

 "He actually took some tougher shots than I did," said Laszewski, 52.

His neighbor, 75-year-old Bobby Thomas was badly bruised and had to get stitches in his mouth. Laszewski had a black eye.

No one is in custody for the crime, but Metro Transit officials said the criminals aren't the smartest to attack people in the middle of the day on a station platform heavily monitored by security cameras. They are reviewing footage of the attack.