JAMAICA, Queens (PIX11) – An on-duty MTA employee was assaulted after approaching a sleeping man on a subway train in Queens early Monday morning, according to the NYPD.
The 32-year-old employee was cleaning a train car at the 179th Street-Hillside Avenue station around 3:30 a.m. when she approached a 63-year-old man who was sleeping on the train, police said.
The employee told the man he must leave the train, which is when he allegedly punched her in the face, according to authorities.
The man was arrested without incident, police said. The victim was taken to NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens with minor injuries.
MTA workers have called for increased safety measures in subways following several attacks on employees. Gov. Kathy Hochul has implemented a new safety plan, which includes more random bag checks and the National Guard joining the NYPD in subway stations.
Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.
