A 38-year-old man was arrested twice within a span of four days for separate incidents on the New York City subway, said police.
The first incident, a cellphone theft, occurred on Monday, while the second, an attempted robbery at knifepoint, took place early Friday morning.
Rakeem Washington allegedly approached a 23-year-old man on a Manhattan subway train just before 2 a.m. Monday, demanding money. After the victim refused, Washington forcibly took his cellphone.
A witness aboard the train alerted authorities, which led to Washington’s arrest at the next station. The stolen cellphone was recovered from his possession and he was later released without bail, according to police.
In a similar pattern of aggression, Washington was involved in another incident just before 3 a.m. Friday. He threatened a 56-year-old man with a box cutter and demanded money while aboard a 4 train near the Bleecker Street stop. A physical altercation ensued, but no injuries were reported.
The train conductor notified police and Washington was arrested on the train, police said. The box cutter, however, was not found.
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Chief of Transit Michael Kemper expressed his concerns on X, commending the efficiency of the transit police in apprehending the suspect, while emphasizing the need for more stringent measures from the broader criminal justice system.
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“Make no mistake about it, your cops are doing their job! Now it’s up to the rest of the criminal justice system to do theirs,” Kemper said in his post, underscoring the challenge of dealing with repeat offenders in the city's transit system.
