Person of interest in Monday’s gunpoint rape on subway platform is in custody

A person of interest in the rape of a woman on the platform of a South Philadelphia subway station was taken into custody Wednesday morning, the Philadelphia Police Department said.

The person, whose name has not been released, was taken to the Special Victims Unit for questioning, the department said in a statement Wednesday morning.

The attack, which took place just after 4:30 a.m. Monday at the Broad and Snyder SEPTA station, was captured on film by the transit system’s security cameras.

Police said a man approached the 40-year-old female victim and her 44-year-old boyfriend. He made brief small talk before pulling a black Glock handgun with a green slide and an extended magazine, video evidence shows.

As the female victim was assaulted, the attacker pointed the gun at her boyfriend, who put his hands up and “was made to watch,” Capt. James Kearney, of the Special Victims Unit, told reporters Monday.

No one else was on the platform at the time of the assault, Kearney said.

“It is a traumatic event that occurred down on that platform,” Kearney said.

The attack is not believed to be linked to other sexual assaults, he said.

In addition to video evidence and statements from the victims, DNA evidence was also collected at the scene, police said.

Monday’s attack came at a time when safety is on the minds of a growing number of SEPTA riders due to a string of troubling crimes.

On Tuesday, police said a male fired shots in SEPTA’s concourse near Broad and Locust Streets at around 6 p.m. After firing the shots, the gunman and three male accomplices fled on foot and have not been caught, said police, who recovered several fired cartridge casings near Locust. Although no one was injured, the incident caused fear and confusion among some transit passengers.

On Friday, police arrested a man who they said randomly targeted three men, followed them off SEPTA buses, and fatally shot them.

Derrick Jones, 21, of the 6900 block of Forrest Avenue in the West Oak Lane section, is charged with killing Zamir Syrus, 20, at 10:30 p.m. June 28 in the 6400 block of North Broad Street, and with the double murders of Tyheim Tucker, 21, and Justin Robert Smith, 20, on July 7 at 10:48 p.m. in the 1900 block of 68th Avenue, also in West Oak Lane.

Last week, a 19-year-old man was shot in the chest, stomach, and hand just after 12:30 p.m. on the platform of the 15th and Market Streets station below City Hall.

The shooting followed an argument between the victim and a 14-year-old boy, who shot the man and turned himself in a day later, police said.

SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch said the transit authority has launched a number a measures with the goal of enhancing safety. This week, 25 SEPTA police officers were transferred to patrol trains and stations along the Market-Frankford Line, the busiest line in the system, he said.

In addition, SEPTA recently agreed to pay raises for officers in an effort to attract new recruits and retain current officers; in May, a fleet of “outreach specialists,” were hired and tasked with reinforcing riding rules to passengers and serving as officers’ additional eyes and ears; while 50 social workers have been aiding those with mental health and addiction issues for about a year on the Market-Frankford Line, Busch said.

“We understand why people are concerned. These incidents are extremely serious violent crimes,” he said. “What we’re trying to do is highlight what we are doing to reinforce safety on the system. It’s going to take a little bit of time to rebuild trust with people who may be staying away, but we are up to rebuilding that trust.”