Police arrest second woman suspected of assaulting MTA worker in East New York • Brooklyn Paper

The second of two women suspected of assaulting an MTA worker last month was arrested on Tuesday.

Photos courtesy of MTA/Crimestoppers

A second woman who allegedly beat an MTA employee in an East New York subway station last month was arrested on Tuesday. 

Cops on July 22 cuffed 24-year-old Leschea Thompson for a slew of charges including assault, endangering the welfare of a child, theft of services, and criminal possession of a weapon. The first suspect, 24-year-old Ayizhae Thomas, was arrested on July 15 on similar charges. According to a criminal complaint, Thomas’ two-year-old son was standing next to her during the incident. 

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez asked that Thomas be held on bail, a DA spokesperson said, but she was granted supervised release. It was not immediately clear whether Thompson would be held or released.

The pair are accused of assaulting 51-year-old MTA employee Marshalee Reid at the New Lots Avenue station on June 28. 

According to police and the Transportation Workers Union, Reid — who was on modified duty after brain surgery last year — was helping a straphanger when she saw one of the suspects — likely Thomas, per the criminal complaint — jump the turnstile without paying. Reid opened the emergency door and asked the woman to come back through and pay. As she stood in the open doorway, the other suspect approached and asked to pass through onto the platform without payment.

When Reid refused, both women allegedly ganged up on her, punching her repeatedly and forcing her to the ground. One repeatedly hit Reid with a set of keys hard enough to cause lacerations. Both women fled the station, but were caught on security cameras, per the NYPD.

At the time, Reid, who was treated for her injuries at Brookdale University Medical Center and released, said she was dealing with “terrible pain” from the attack, and would require imaging and medical clearance before she could return to work. 

In the wake of the incident, TWU officials urged prosecutors and politicians to crack down on subway crime and deploy more officers to areas where MTA employees are frequently attacked.

“Every day, more than one person from our union is assaulted,” said TWU president John Chiarello on July 2. “When is this going to end?”

Robert Kelley, TWU vice president for stations, has called for both assailants to be sentenced to seven years in prison.