Suspect Arrested After Unprovoked Subway Attack
A homeless man, currently on parole after serving time for attempted murder, has been arrested for an unprovoked attack on a woman in the subway system, according to police reports.
The suspect, identified as 42-year-old Roland Reid, approached the woman to request that she swipe her MetroCard at the mezzanine level of the 14th Avenue subway station around 2:45 PM on Sunday. When she declined, Reid allegedly struck her with a metal rod and punched her in the arm.
The woman, 28, suffered lacerations and was taken by paramedics to Bellevue Hospital, where she is reported to be in stable condition.
Officers from Transit District 2 made an arrest shortly thereafter. Reid faces multiple charges, including assault with a weapon and criminal possession. He was found to be in possession of 14 bent MetroCards along with the weapon.
Reid is on parole until March 2028 following a previous conviction related to a hate crime involving another subway attack. In that incident, back in June 2015, he confronted a transgender woman at the Bleeker/Lafayette Street Station, hurling insults and a bottle before physically assaulting her.
Witnesses to the most recent incident reportedly rushed to assist the victim, who was treated for her injuries and subsequently released from the hospital.
Reid now faces upgraded charges that include attempted murder and hate crime. This latest arrest adds to a record of 20 previous arrests, primarily related to traffic violations and threats.
In a separate incident on the same Sunday, three teenagers reportedly cornered a 14-year-old boy at a subway station in Brooklyn, stealing his iPhone, backpack, and other belongings. Thankfully, no injuries were reported, and the investigation is ongoing.
Despite these recent incidents, subway crime rates have reportedly decreased to their second-lowest level in 27 years. NYPD statistics from April indicated an 18% drop in crime during the first quarter of the year, with zero murders in the transit system reported for the first time in seven years. Police Commissioner Jessica Tish attributed these improvements to increased patrols and focused policing strategies, claiming they have made the subway system safer than it has been in nearly a decade.
