Cops hunt for woman who pepper-sprayed MTA cleaner on Bronx train

THE BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) —There were no cameras on the train where a woman pepper-sprayed an MTA cleaner in the Bronx early Monday, police said.

The assailant was, however, captured on surveillance video leaving the subway station after attacking the 44-year-old worker on the No.1 train in the Van Cortland Park-242nd Street subway station in Kingsbridge at around 4 a.m., according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny.

“As of right now, there’s no video on in the train car but there is video on the platform. We came up with some good stills. Unfortunately, her face is masked up,” Kenny said at a press briefing Tuesday.

Kenny said the suspect was sleeping on the train and became belligerent when the MTA worker woke her up so she could continue to clean the train. The victim was sprayed in the face and a co-worker took her to the hospital for treatment, police said.

The woman then fled and remained at large, as of Wednesday. The NYPD released a photo of the suspect.

A similar attack happened on a stopped subway train in Queens last Monday. An MTA employee was punched in the face after waking a sleeping man and asking him to get off the train, according to authorities.

The suspect in that incident was arrested without incident, police said.

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.

Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).

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