A Manhattan grand jury indicted a man who allegedly punched an MTA worker in the face at a Midtown subway station last month, prosecutors announced Thursday.
Robert Ray, 33, was hit with second-degree assault charges for the unprovoked assault on an MTA station agent on Sept. 16 at the Lexington Avenue-53rd Street station in Midtown.
“Millions of New Yorkers rely on the hard work of our dedicated MTA employees every day, and we will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure our transit system is safe,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement. “I hope the victim continues to heal from this assault.”
Prosecutors say the incident began at 6:05 a.m. on Sept. 16, when Ray allegedly started stalking the female station agent at the Lexington Avenue-53rd Street stop, serving the E and M lines, as she walked to the bathroom.
As she checked on the station’s escalators, Ray allegedly rushed her from behind and socked her in the face, knocking her to the ground.
Ray then fled the scene, but was arrested later that day. The station agent suffered lacerations, swelling, and pain in her face.
Ray is currently being held at the Otis Bantum Center on Rikers Island on $25,000 bail, according to Department of Correction records.
