NEAR WEST SIDE — A CTA janitor was stabbed to death while trying to intervene in a fare dispute after a rider sprayed a customer service assistant with mace Thursday at the Damen Green Line station, the worker’s labor union said.

Julian Mobley, 41, was stabbed in the neck about 3 p.m. in the station’s mezzanine in the 2000 block of West Lake Street, according to Chicago police and the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 308, the union that represents CTA workers.

The attacker fled westbound, and Mobely was found unresponsive in a nearby room before being taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

Mobley was a husband and father of two who had worked for the CTA for years and been a member ATU Local 308 since 2018, the union said.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of our Local 308 brothers. It is a very sad and difficult day for our members,” Local 308 President Pennie McCoach said in a statement. “… This is unacceptable. Our members deserve to be able to go to work and come home safely each day. It is long overdue for the CTA to make real changes to ensure our members and riders are safe on rail cars, stations and at transit centers.”

The union called on the CTA and elected officials to add more transit police and take other steps to prevent violence on trains, buses and at stations.

The community group Violence Interrupters also called for stronger protections for CTA workers and riders following Mobley’s death.

“The solution cannot be enforcement alone,” said Tio Hardiman, the group’s executive director. “We need trained interrupters, outreach workers, conflict mediators and community partners working alongside public safety officials to keep violence from happening in the first place.”

A CTA spokesperson said the agency is working with Chicago police on the investigation, including sharing surveillance footage and other information.

“The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is deeply saddened by the death of a beloved CTA employee at the Damen Green Line station [Thursday],” the CTA spokesperson said. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to our colleague’s family, loved ones and coworkers. We are committed to supporting our employees and are always working with our public safety partners to strengthen protections for those who serve our riders every day.”

The incident prompted Green Line trains to bypass the Damen station due to police activity, the Tribune reported.

A “person of interest” was in custody, police said Friday morning.

The station remained closed around 7:30 p.m. as police and fire officials could be seen cleaning the scene. It was open again as of 11:30 p.m. for traffic after a concert at the nearby United Center.

The CTA has reported a 30% decline in overall reported crime so far in 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, according to police.

The CTA has increased police patrols and sheriff’s deputies on trains and approved a pilot program deploying non-police outreach workers to engage riders and connect vulnerable passengers with support services.