PHILADELPHIA – A Philadelphia man was arrested by transit police Thursday for allegedly throwing a woman on the subway tracks at a station in the city’s Chinatown neighborhood, CBS Philly reports.
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority police said surveillance footage showed the man approaching the woman Tuesday afternoon on the subway platform asking for a light, before beating her.
“By the time I zipped my jacket back up, that’s when he was on me, on my neck,” the victim, who wished to remain unidentified, told CBS Philly. “I was just telling him, ‘I don’t have no money,’ and he was just like, ‘Shut up.’ ”
Authorities said the man then grabbed the woman by her ankles and threw her onto the tracks before walking away with her phone.
“I started trying to fight him back, and kick just as much as I could. And he grabbed me by the legs.” the woman said. “He seemed fine, he didn’t seem like he was crazy.”
SEPTA Police Chief Thomas Nestell said the woman was able to climb off the tracks and suffered only bumps and bruises.
“I am so happy that a train didn’t come on either side, because I don’t know what would have happened then,” the woman told CBS Philly.
Police arrested William Clark on Thursday afternoon, recognizing that he was wearing a jacket similar to the one seen in the surveillance video. Authorities said Clark has a previous criminal record, and it was unclear whether he knew the victim.
