Police officials have identified the man that they say brutally beat a senior woman in Harlem last week with her own cane, charging that he’s been in trouble before.
According to Chief of Transit Michael Kemper, a video made the rounds on social media showing the suspect — identified as 43-year-old Norton Blake — brutally attacking a 60-year-old woman with her own walking stick inside of the 116th Street and Lenox Avenue subway station at around 3:20 a.m. on Sept. 1.
The senior was transported to Harlem Hospital where she is in stable condition.
The shocking video taken inside the station depicts Blake allegedly thrashing the senior with her own walking aid in the disturbing footage.
“You see on video the male striking the female with that wooden cane dozens of times and also striking her with that belt,” Chief Kemper said.
According to Kemper, the altercation possibly stemmed from an object being dropped when Blake may have been helping his victim carry items up the stairwell. Blake apparently has a whopping 20 prior arrests for resisting arrest, tampering with evidence, and criminal trespass.
Chief Kemper said he expects an imminent arrest in the case.
“We’re looking for him and I’m pretty confident in short order he will be arrested and charged for that assault,” Kemper said.
Despite this recent incident, Kemper said that there has been 66 less major crimes in the transit system compared to last year.
Read more: Gang Member Arrested for Brooklyn, Queens Shootings
