Man arrested after subway cleaner attacked in Lower Manhattan
LOWER MANHATTAN, Manhattan (WABC) -- Police have arrested a man after a subway cleaner was attacked with a pipe in Lower Manhattan.
Jonathan Frias, 28, was arrested Sunday and charged with assault.
The attack happened last Friday just before 7 a.m. as Leonor Faña started her shift cleaning the E train platform at the Chambers-World Trade Center stop.
She says she was able to call a coworker nearby, then fell. While she says her physical injuries hurt, more than anything, she feels emotionally scarred, saying she is traumatized, nervous, and anxious - feeling like danger is everywhere.
It was not the first time someone attacked her while working in Lower Manhattan. Faña says while this was the most serious, it was actually the third time. Only a few days earlier, someone shoved her to the ground. Each attack, she says, was completely unprovoked.
Eyewitness News asked Faña what she thought of subway violence being mentioned so much leading up to the election this week. She said this should have nothing to do with politics but instead said 'I do hope whoever won does something. There has to be more safety. It could happen to anyone.' She also says she has no choice but to go back to the scene of the crime - because as the single mom of a teenager, she has to work.
ALSO READ | 12-year-old slashed across chest while playing basketball at Bronx playground
----------
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
