Boy, 14, arrested for attacking 15-year-old autistic NYC subway rider, hate crime suspected
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: A 14-year-old boy has been arrested for assaulting a 15-year-old autistic boy on the NYC subway. The suspect was charged as a juvenile with aggravated harassment, assault, harassment, and creating menace in connection to the horrifying attack.
The disturbing incident took place on Friday, March 10, during rush hour in Washington Heights. The assault was caught on video which began circulating online Monday, March 13, according to a report by the New York Post. Police said that two suspects are still on the loose, including a young woman who can be seen pulling the victim off the train in the video.
READ MORE
'You runnin'! Why you runnin'
The video, posted on Instagram, shows a woman keeping a firm grip on the boy’s shirt, pulling him down the northbound train at Street-Fort Washington Avenue station and repeatedly yelling, "Walk! Walk!" Passengers watch as she drags the youngster off the busy platform. The teenager tries to escape, but the girl holds his sweater even more tightly. "You runnin’!" she screams. "Why you runnin’!"
A male voice can then be heard chanting the N-word followed by "alert." The autistic teen is seen trying to get back on the train, but the woman drags him off again before someone else socks him in the face. The victim’s glasses are yanked from his face and he throws a few jabs to defend himself as someone yells, "fight back!"
The teen is seen pleading with his attacker, asking, "Why do you want me to get off?," while suffering a hit from another teen. Before the video concludes, the young girl and two other people attack the boy can be seen repeatedly kicking and punching as he tries to escape once again.
The teen suffered bruises to his face and body. His glasses were broken and he did not know his assailants, according to the NYPD. The victim's mother, who wishes to remain anonymous, also claimed that her son did not know who attacked him or why, according to a report by WABC.
Hate crime task force notified about the incident
NYPD officers said that the Hate Crime Task Force was notified about the incident because of the anti-Black slur that was used. While one of the attackers has been arrested, the search for the the other two attackers continues, said police.