Police: Woman Thrown Off SEPTA Platform In Unprovoked Attack
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia Police say a 27-year-old woman was thrown from the platform onto the SEPTA El tracks at 40th Street Station at 9:00 Sunday morning in a random, unprovoked attack.
Lt. John Walker says the SEPTA rider was looking toward the tracks awaiting her train when Kenneth Grimes, for no reason, shoved her off the platform.
Fortunately Lt. Walker says the train was not heading into the station at that moment and the victim did not fall onto the electrified third rail only a few feet away.
As the victim suffered shoulder injuries and lay sprawled across the track, she looked up and saw the suspect now with a knife, allegedly threatening to kill her.
"He's yelling at her 'kill, kill, kill' and he's got a knife in his hand," Lt. Walker told CBS 3's Walt Hunter.
"She looks at him astonished and says, 'What are you doing?'"
Police say as the victim managed to make her way back onto the platform, Grimes hopped aboard the next El train, still carrying the knife, exiting two stops later and running into Amtrak's 30th Street Station.
There, detectives say, he was arrested after scuffling with officers and spitting on them.
SEPTA officials credit their cameras with spotting both the crime while it was still in progress and helping guide officers to where the suspect was heading.
Grimes in now being held in $250,000 bail on aggravated assault and numerous other charges.