Schoolgirl attacked on SEPTA trolley in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- Police are investigating an attack on a female high school student while she was riding mass transit Wednesday morning in North Philadelphia, CBS Philly reported.

Foi Wharton says her 17-year-old daughter, Shay, was attacked by a man on the Route 15 SEPTA trolley, after she squeezed onto the crowded trolley car and accidentally bumped the man with her backpack.

Wharton says her daughter suffered a broken nose, a black eye, and blurred vision.

The teenager told the station, "When I went to turn around to go get my hat, I saw his fists were balled up like he was going to hit me. And he already said he would hit me."

"He said some derogatory things to my daughter, threw her hat on the floor," Shay's mother told KYW Newsradio. "As she was coming up, he hit her in the face about three or four times."

"I saw down and realized I was bleeding, a lot of blood was falling from my nose and my eye was tingling," Shay recounted.

"I'm a nurse in the emergency room. I see it every day, but that last thing I would ever want to see, is see it on my child," her mother said.

Eyewitnesses recorded a portion of the attack, and SEPTA officials say they are looking for surveillance video. The attacker was wearing a dark knit hat, a dark jacket, and a shirt with blue and black horizontal stripes.

"I'm hoping that the from pictures that have been posted, that somebody knows him and will report him," said Foi Wharton.

Shay said the man who hit her jumped off the trolley at 7th and Girard and ran off.

Her mother notes, "I wish, if there were some adults on the bus, that someone would've intervened and try to deescalate the situation."

According to CBS Philly, SEPTA declined to comment about the incident.

If you have any information about the attack or the attacker, contact East Detectives at 215-686-3243.