Chicago man charged with murder of 9-year-old autistic boy at CTA stairs

A 52-year-old man from Chicago has been charged in connection with the death of a 9-year-old boy with autism who fell down the stairs at a CTA Green Line station.

The incident occurred on August 10 at the Clinton L stop in the West Loop. The boy, Elijah Flores, was with a 22-year-old family friend when a fight broke out between the friend and two men. The friend was struck in the head and fell down the stairs, causing Flores to also fall and hit his head. He was taken to Lurie Children's Hospital in critical condition and was later declared brain dead. Flores passed away after becoming an organ donor.

Michael Korosa of Chicago is facing charges related to Flores' death, including one felony count of involuntary manslaughter and one felony count of aggravated battery of a transit employee. Initially, Chicago police stated Korosa was charged with murder but later corrected the charges.

According to prosecutors, the altercation began when the family friend took money from Korosa's friend and attempted to flee. Korosa and his friend pursued them, with the family friend carrying Flores on his shoulder. During the pursuit down the stairs, Korosa struck the family friend with his cane, leading to both individuals falling and Flores sustaining a fatal head injury.

The incident was captured on video by CTA surveillance cameras and a bystander. Korosa was arrested on Saturday, appeared in court for a detention hearing on Monday, and was released on electronic monitoring.

Sara Tenenbaum, the Senior Digital Producer for CBS News Chicago, covers breaking, local, and community news in the city. She previously held similar roles at ABC7 Chicago.