Subway crime on the Upper East Side continues its staggering spike— now up a stunning 250% over this time last year. Meanwhile, the NYPD reports yet another woman has fallen victim to a pervert preying on innocent New Yorkers underground while gratifying his depraved sexual desires.
It was this past Tuesday, August 23rd, right after rush hour— around 7:30 pm— when a 28-year-old woman was approached by a stranger on the southbound Q train platform inside the 63rd Street-Lexington Avenue subway station.
The situation quickly turned into a sex crime, when police say the subway sicko pulled his genitals out of his pants and started touching himself in front of the shocked straphanger.
ALSO READ | Controversial UES Homeless Shelter Project Loses Operator as Plans Change for Facility
Then, police say, the man boarded a northbound F train like nothing happened and escaped from the scene.
The 28-year-old victim wasn’t hurt, but obviously police want to get the suspect off the streets. In a photo released by investigators, the suspect is seen wearing a black Reebok t-shirt with either a large tattoo, birthmark or dark discoloration on his left forearm.
This is the second sex crime inside 63rd Street-Lexington Avenue subway station in just over a month. On July 18th, police say a different creep stuck his cell phone under a woman’s dress to take an ‘upskirt’ photo while riding the the escalator inside the station.
Subway crime continues to be a concern on the Upper East Side, with the number of incidents nearly tripling in 2022 compared to the same time period last year, according to NYPD data.
In 2021, there were just eight subway crimes reported across the whole neighborhood— that number has jumped to 28 in 2022— and only includes crimes reported to police.
ALSO READ | Man Randomly Assaulted while Sitting on Bench in Central Park
According to the MTA’s most recent customer satisfaction survey, ‘personal safety and security’ is the top concern of commuters, yet MTA leadership remains laser focused on fare evasion as the top issue underground, as crime against innocent New Yorkers rages on.
“News Flash! People who commit robberies and violent crimes generally don’t bother with MetroCard swipes or OMNY taps,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said earlier this year.
Lieber believes that fare evasion enforcement “can discourage criminals from coming into [the subway] to do crime in the first place.”
If you recognize the suspect wanted in Tuesday’s subway flashing or have any information that could help police, you’re asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-8477.
For updates around the clock, follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook
