MTA conductor pepper sprayed on train in Harlem
NEW YORK - Police are investigating after they say an MTA conductor was pepper sprayed at a subway station in Harlem overnight.
It happened around 3 a.m. at the 135th Street-Lenox Avenue subway station. Police say a train conductor operating a northbound 2 train pulled into a station when a man came up to her and pepper sprayed her in the face before running away.
She was taken to Harlem Hospital with some redness and swelling but is expected to be OK.
Straphangers reacted to the seemingly random attack Sunday.
"Especially on Christmas Eve, when she probably was working to get extra money for her family and now they have to suffer on Christmas Day because she was attacked, assaulted, doing her own job. It's terrible. I'm very sad to hear that," one straphanger said.
"It's New York, you know. Any given time, police be down here, or on the other side. They're on the subway but they can't be there every moment in time, like right now, you know what I'm saying? You never know who might get assaulted," said another.
Police say the suspect was in his 20s, wearing blue jeans and a white jacket. So far, tehre have been no arrests.
"Even on Christmas Day, transit workers are subjected to harassment and assaults. It's outrageous and unacceptable. We fear the situation will only get worse if the MTA goes through with planned service cuts. Riders see the MTA uniform and take out their anger and frustration on us. Our union sister should have been able to go to work and go home to her family safe and sound , not be subject to such an attack," said TWU Local 100 President Richard Davis.
Anyone with any information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.
