Police: Metro-North Employee Arrested For Sexually Assaulting Sleeping Woman On Train
FAIRFIELD, Conn. (CBSNewYork) - A Metro-North employee has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman aboard a Metro-North train during the morning rush hour.
According to Metro-North police, the suspect assaulted the sleeping woman aboard the 7:35 a.m. train to New Haven.
The employee "committed some sort of lewd sexual activity," Fairfield Police Chief Gary MacNamara said.
Police: Man Arrested For Sexually Assaulting Sleeping Woman On Metro-North Train
According to a railroad spokesperson, Manny Ramos, 34, of Brooklyn, was hired as a coach cleaner in October 2011 and had been in an engineer training program since March 2013.
Following his arrest, Ramos was immediately suspended without pay, and disciplinary charges are pending.
Ramos has been charged with public indecency and breach of peace, both misdemeanors.
The assault occurred within view of other passengers, according to police.
The woman alerted a conductor and the train was held for nearly an hour at the Fairfield station, Metro-North police said.
"When the train was stopped, our officers began to search the train for the suspect," said MacNamara.
The suspect got off the train in Fairfield and was arrested a short distance from the station. The victim was able to positively identify Ramos as her attacker, according to the railroad.
Metro-North commuters told CBS 2's Tracee Carrasco they were disgusted after hearing about the alleged sexual assault.
"The guy next to me said it was a sexual assault. There were cops all over," said Rita Christopher, a Metro-North commuter.
Christopher was disgusted to learn that the sexual assault of a woman took place during her very own morning commute on a train bound for New Haven from Grand Central Terminal.
"All you know in a train is what's happening in your car, and it certainly wasn't happening in our car and we didn't know," she said. "We knew it was a police action of some sort."
Riders said these types of incidents happen all too often. Tatiana Selca said a similar assault happened to her.
"I had sat in a three-seater one time, and the guy spread out the paper and groped me while he was picking up his paper," she said.
Some are wondering if more needs to be done to keep train commuters safe.
"They should bring more protection to the train because anything can happen," Joseph Adomakoh said.
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