Brooklyn MTA station agent says 2 female fare evaders beat her up

CBS News

01-07-2025

A Metropolitan Transportation Authority worker says she was assaulted on the job in Brooklyn over the weekend while trying to help an elderly man who was having trouble in transit.
The woman said she fears for her health and safety, especially with the suspects still on the run.
"They're fare beaters. They wanted a ride"
Marshalee Reid said the attack left her badly bruised and bleeding,
"I was attacked by two girls while I was on the job. They jumped me. They assaulted me," Reid said. "They're fare beaters. They wanted a ride."
Reid, a 51-year-old station agent, was working at the New Lots Avenue station in East New York on Saturday afternoon, when she says she was assisting an elderly man with an oxygen tank through a door.
She says as she was helping him, a woman jumped the turnstile, and then another woman asked to go through the door, to which Reid responded that she had to pay the fare.
"Just because I said that, that's all, they started to fight me," Reid said. "The girl was punching me in the face with keys that she had. She also had a pocket knife."
NYC Transit boss calls attack "outrageous"
Police are looking for two suspects.
Union leaders say the two had a child with them at the time of the assault.
In a statement, NYC Transit President Crichlow called the attack "outrageous."
"[It's] another example of how fare evaders are often the perpetrators of assaults," Crichlow said, adding, "When the NYPD catches the suspects, which they will, we will be at the courthouse to insist that maximum justice is delivered for our colleague."
"I want you to catch these girls," Reid said. "There's consequences for their crimes."
Until then, Reid says she fears taking the train, or returning to work. And after just having brain surgery last year, she's focusing on her recovery, both physically and emotionally.
TWU implores NYC to put more police underground
The Transport Workers Union sounded off about safety in the subway system.
"At the time of this assault, there was no police anywhere to be found -- mezzanine, platform, nowhere in sight," TWU Local 100 Vice President of Stations Robert Kelley said.
"We have station agents, train operators, conductors, cleaners, every day getting assaulted either verbally or physically. I call on the mayor again to surge the police into these areas," TWU Local 100 President John Chiarello said.
"We feel as many police officers as possible, we want in the system. That's why were bringing on 4,000 new officers, increasing the numbers," Mayor Eric Adams said.
Anyone with any information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on X, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.