Homeless man punches PREGNANT woman as she refuses to give up her seat on Philadelphia bus
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: A homeless man assaulted a pregnant woman aboard a SEPTA bus in Philadelphia after she allegedly refused to give up her seat. Authorities informed that the 6'2" attacker allegedly struck the woman in the face and pushed her into a metal pole. As per reports, the bus driver immediately alerted transit police, but the man fled.
"Police said the suspect approached the woman, who was seated, and demanded that she give her seat to him. When she refused, he punched her in the face and pushed her, then fled," said the transit agency SEPTA. The assault happened around 1:45 am on a Market-Frankford Line Night Owl bus near 8th and Market streets in Center City on Sunday, March 13. According to the local media outlets, the transit agency said the woman was about two months pregnant.
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UPDATE: IDENTIFIED: Man who was WANTED for punching pregnant woman on @septa bus “because she would not give up her seat to him.”has been found,Law Enforcement sources tell FOX 29 News, Septa police say he is homeless,“vulnerable” as Septa managers refer to homeless @FOX29philly pic.twitter.com/6Se2lZDnrL
— Steve Keeley (@KeeleyFox29) March 14, 2022
A police report states that after the attack, the suspect threatened to follow the pregnant woman and beat her up and that the victim "wanted to go to the hospital to check on the condition of the fetus."
The police informed that the pregnant woman was taken to Jefferson University hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. The authorities also said that they have submitted the case to the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office to obtain an arrest warrant, according to FOX 29.
NBC10 reported that the suspect, who is a homeless man, was arrested on Monday, March 14, and charges have since been filed against him. However, the man is yet to be identified and it is not clear what charges he could face.
This is the second incident involving an attack on a pregnant woman on the transit system within the last six months. In September 2021, a knife-wielding suspect left a pregnant woman with minor injuries after an attack at a SEPTA station. During that horrifying incident, the suspect grabbed the 20-year-old woman from behind and held a knife to her neck. She escaped by kicking the suspect and was left with a minor laceration, police said.