Police: Rider Assaulted On Subway Platform
By Justin Udo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- SEPTA police are asking for the public's help identifying a person who they say is responsible for an assault on their Market-Frankford train line.
SEPTA Police Chief Thomas Nestel says the incident happened shortly after 3 p.m. Monday.
"This is a bunch of kids that were on the train behaving prior to the incident and something occurring with an adult who gets on the train," said Chief Nestel.
Chief Nestel says the 60-year-old who was getting on the train accidentally stepped on a teenager's shoe and after that words were exchanged.
"A number of the girls were getting in between and breaking up this verbal altercation," said Nestel.
Nestel says the attempted mediation was no help, because when the parties exited the train at 15th Street one of the teens punched the man knocking him unconscious and breaking his jaw.
"The final point where there is a physical altercation where it goes from a verbal altercation to the physical altercation is horrifying. He didn't know the punch was coming," said Nestel.
Police are asking for the public's help as they identify the people involved.