Manhattan punch suspect now person of interest in Brooklyn subway attacks
BROOKLYN, New York (WABC) -- A man who randomly punched a woman in Midtown on Thursday is now a person of interest a pair of violent, random attacks on two women at a busy subway station in Brooklyn.
Justice Allen, 53, was arrested for the assault in Manhattan at around 5:45 p.m. on Thursday.
Police say he randomly punched a 20-year-old woman in front of 1528 Broadway, at West 53rd Street. He was quickly taken into custody.
Allen is pending arraignment in this assault, and possibly another unrelated attack, in Manhattan.
Police described Allen as emotionally disturbed. He has 24 prior arrests, including multiple assaults, robberies, multiple counts of public lewdness, and acting in a manner injurious to a child.
Police will also question Allen as a person of interest in connection to back-to-back attacks in the subway in Downtown Brooklyn that occurred Wednesday, after authorities released video of the suspect on Friday.
The attacks happened just before 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Barclays Center station 2/3/4/5 lines.
A 30-year-old woman was standing on the northbound 5 train platform when police say she was randomly slashed in the face.
The suspect - a man in his 40's with dreadlocks, who is seen in the surveillance video dressed in a dark gray hooded sweatshirt - approached the victim and slashed her on her left cheek with a razor blade.
He then fled on foot and, as he was in the mezzanine of the station, punched a 47-year-old woman in the face.
Both victims were taken to area hospitals and are recovering.
Police say both attacks were completely unprovoked.
Investigators are asking for the public's help tracking down this suspect.
Call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit tips by visiting the CrimeStoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or by messaging on Twitter @NYPDTips.
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