An outraged man struck a 71-year-old MTA bus operator in the head with a wrench as he stepped onto a bus rolling through Brooklyn, police said Friday — at least the second assault aboard an MTA bus this month.
The NYPD released images of the suspect in the May 13 attack in hopes that someone could identify him.
Cops believed the assailant was called onto the bus by a woman passenger already onboard who was arguing with the bus driver, a police source with knowledge of the case said.
The MTA employee was driving his B61 bus past the corner of Lorraine and Hicks Sts. in Red Hook — and arguing with an unruly passenger — at about 8 a.m. when the unidentified suspect boarded the bus.
The two immediately got into an argument, cops were told. After a few moments, the suspect pulled out a wrench and struck the bus driver on the forehead with it.
He then jumped off the bus — with the woman who had argued with the bus driver — and both fled the area on a scooter, cops said. They were last seen zipping east on Lorraine St.
EMS rushed the bus driver to New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, where he was treated for a minor injury, cops said.
Detectives recovered images of the assailant from a camera affixed to the front of he bus.
The attack happened about three days after an unrelated attack on a Bronx Bx35 bus near 165 St. and Third Ave. in Morrisania when an unidentified commuter wearing a gray sweatshirt and blue jeans began yelling at a 31-year-old man on the bus, then hit his victim on the head with a pipe.
The victim, who suffered a laceration, was transported by EMS to Lincoln Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.
The assailant took off after the incident and remains on the loose.
Early Thursday, an MTA subway cleaner was also attacked by a man with a pipe as he spruced up the Bergen St. station in Boerum Hill around 12:15 a.m., cops said.
The suspect was swinging the pipe and smashed a station call box, cops said. When the cleaner confronted him, the suspect said, “Why are you following me?” then swung the pipe at him twice, missing both times, cops said.
NYPD
Police say this man, armed with a pipe, tried to attack a 68-year-old MTA cleaner at the Bergen St. subway station on Thursday. (NYPD)
The cleaner then grabbed the suspect and the two men began brawling, both falling to the platform before the suspect got up and ran off.
EMS rushed the cleaner to NYU Langone Health-Cobble Hill, where he was treated for pains throughout his body and released.
The man with the pipe, who was described as Black and wearing a black T-shirt and black clothing, remained at large Friday. It’s not believed that the two MTA pipe attacks are connected.
The man wanted for the May 13 attack is described as Black, about 5-foot-6 and in his early 40s. He was last seen wearing a black sweatshirt and tan pants.
Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is urged to call NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
