Authorities have charged a man with sexually assaulting three separate woman in Logan Square earlier this year, as well as two more women in crimes dating back to 2022 on the Northwest Side neighborhood and in Lake View.
Chakib Mansour Khodja, 36, of Jefferson Park, was arrested Friday after arriving on a flight to O’Hare International Airport, Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling announced Monday.
Khodja was charged with three felony counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault in the most recent attacks. Additionally, he also charged with sexual abuse, aggravated kidnapping, unlawful restraint, attempted home invasion and public indecency charges.
A Cook County judge ordered him detained pending trial on all felony counts, citing his “repetitive, predatory behavior.”
In all, he faces 16 felony counts and two misdemeanors in the attacks of five women.
Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke said the investigation lasted three years, culminating in the arrest after “dogged” efforts of detectives and prosecutors.
“Today the city is safer. Today every single woman in this city — every single man who has a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister — should all be breathing a sigh of relief,” Burke said.
“This man was a violent, serial predator who literally went out hunting for his victims,” Burke said.
Snelling said detectives tied Khodja to the crimes through DNA evidence, video surveillance, statements from the victims and survivors, and the identification of the car that Khodja used.
Mayor Brandon Johnson applauded the charges in a City Hall news conference, saying it shows the value of promoting more detectives to work on unsolved cases.
“We promised the Logan Square community — especially the survivors who have been fighting for justice for a very long time — that we would apprehend this sick and depraved individual and that we would ultimately bring them to justice,” Johnson said. “Today we are pleased to announce that we have taken the first step towards justice and ensuring that our victim’s experiences will be at the very least honored by conviction.”
Attacks dating back to 2022
On May 7, 2022, Khodja allegedly followed a 36-year-old woman into her building in the 2000 block of North Humboldt Boulevard, placed a drawstring bag over her head and wrapped his hands around her neck, according to prosecutors. The woman screamed out and Khodja allegedly removed the bag and fled the scene, prosecutors said.
On July 15, 2022, Khodja allegedly sexually assaulted a 21-year-old woman in the 800 block of West Wellington Avenue. The woman was walking home from a Lincoln Park bar when two men offered her a ride in a dark sedan, prosecutors said. During the ride, the men pulled over the car and exited, as a second vehicle pulled up alongside them, prosecutors said. Khodja allegedly entered the back seat with the victim and sexually assaulted her. The car then drove and the woman was eventually “shoved out,” according to prosecutors.
Khodja’s gold Toyota Prius was captured on video footage following the black sedan, according to prosecutors.
Series of recent assaults in Logan Square
On Jan. 18, Khodja followed a 36-year-old woman from a convenience store, put a knife to her side and forced her to walk toward the 2800 block of West Bloomingdale Avenue where he sexually assaulted her, according to prosecutors. A Ford Fusion, belonging to someone who lives with Khodja, was captured near the scene.
On Jan. 22, Khodja followed a 21-year-old woman to her door in the 2800 block of North Central Park Avenue and exposed himself, according to prosecutors. In this case, he faces misdemeanor charges of public indecency.
On Feb. 2 Khodja allegedly followed a 21-year-old woman into the entryway of her building in the the 2600 block of North Troy Street, prosecutors said. He held a knife to her neck and sexually assaulted her, prosecutors said. The same Ford Fusion was captured nearby about 15 minutes after the attack.
“The knife is on my neck the whole time,” the woman told the Sun-Times. “Every time I tried to get louder, he would press it closer.”
In all four felony cases, Khodja’s DNA was found on the victim or items recovered from the scene, prosecutors said.
Low public safety scores
Khodja has no prior arrests and “no history of violence, sexual or other,” according to his public defender.
He has lived in Cook County with his wife for the last four years and works for Excellent Chicago Limos. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Pretrial officers listed Khodja as a low risk for new criminal activity and failure to appear in court.
Judge Susana Ortiz ordered Khodja held pending trial for all felony counts, citing the volume of incidents, the targeting of “vulnerable women who are out alone,” and his allegedly “emboldened” response to victims attempting to fight back.
“I find that his actions in each of these incidents makes him a clear and present danger to each of these victims and to all females,” Ortiz said.
Khodja is due back in court later this month.