MBTA Police Arrest Man Accused Of Beating Woman At North Station

BOSTON (CBS) – Transit Police have arrested a man who allegedly violently attacked a young woman at North Station earlier this week.

It happened around 10:25 p.m. Wednesday as the 19-year-old woman sat on a bench in the commuter rail lobby. Police said she had no interaction with the man and had never seen him before.

Police released surveillance images of the suspect on Wednesday. On Thursday, detectives at Park Street MBTA station spotted a man, later identified as 45-year-old Robert Booker, who matched the suspect in the surveillance images. Booker also identified himself from the photo and was arrested.

Transit Police Superintendent Richard Sullivan said although the assault was random, the victim may have been targeted after Booker's initial walk through the station. "He then takes either a sock or some type of sack and he puts a heavy blunt object in there and he proceeds to violently assault the victim as she's sitting down, causing her injury to her face," Sullivan told WBZ.

While Booker was being arrested, it was discovered that there were two warrants for his arrest for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.