A Pennsylvania woman survived an apparently random, unprovoked subway attack and robbery; and a suspect was captured two days later with the victim’s phone.
William Clark, of Philadelphia, is in custody, and faces aggravated assault, robbery, theft and reckless endangerment charges after police believe he was the offender caught on SEPTA security video during the attack. The video shows a male/black subject with choking her, repeatedly punching her in the head, dragging her by her ankles, and throwing her on the subway tracks.
The victim had been sitting on a bench about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday when the offender asked her what time the train was coming and asked for a light for his cigarette. After she gave him the lighter, he returned it she put the lighter back in her coat pocket. The attacker then grabbed her by the throat and began punching her.
In the video the attacker is wearing a distinctive jacket, with one red sleeve, one aqua sleeve and a Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resorts logo. Police withheld an alert that described the jacket because they wanted to minimize the chance that the suspect would stop wearing the jacket if he were aware of a police alert describing his jacket.
Clark was arrested about 2:30 p.m. Thursday at a plaza near City Hall when a SEPTA officer identified him wearing the same jacket visible under another coat. Clark resisted but was apprehended with the victim’s cellphone. He was arrested initially facing charges of aggravated assault, and theft and then the additional charges of robbery and reckless endangerment. Clark is being held on $2 million bail.
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