Man arrested for choking and beating teen Asian students in Philadelphia subway
A man wanted for attacking two Asian high school students in separate incidents in Philadelphia’s subway system has been arrested on Thursday morning, according to authorities.
Torey Egypt Grier, 27, is now facing assault charges for the reported attacks on Sept. 9 and Sept. 13, which were captured on surveillance videos and purportedly unprovoked.
The first incident occurred at Walnut-Locust Station and involved a 17-year-old female student who attends Central High School. Grier is accused of grabbing her by the throat and slamming her to the ground.
The second incident occurred at City Hall Station and involved a 13-year-old female student who studies at Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School. Grier allegedly punched her several times in the face and on the body.
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Both victims were traveling to their schools at around 7 a.m. and 7:30 a.m., respectively, when the attacks took place. Neither suffered serious physical injuries.
Detectives with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) Transit Police used surveillance videos to locate Grier. He was not identified until his arrest.
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Grier is expected to be charged with aggravated assault, simple assault and related offenses. He had not been arraigned as of Thursday afternoon, and it is unclear if he has obtained a lawyer yet.
Investigators are still determining whether he could face hate crime charges. No words were exchanged during the attacks, according to reports.
“The pattern between both victims were [sic] they were Asian students,” Acting SEPTA Police Chief Charles Lawson told WPVI. “There was no verbalization between the victims and the suspect at all, so it makes it a little harder to pinpoint a specific reason.”
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"The attacks have since prompted a boost in police presence in the subway system. Additional officers and outreach personnel are now accessible from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and the “evening rush hour,” Lawson added.
Featured Image via SEPTA Transit Police
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