Second court hearing held for suspect in assault on MTA employee

A Metropolitan Transportation Authority cleaner who was allegedly assaulted by a passenger last week testified in court today.

News 12 Staff

Aug 19, 2022, 4:12 PM

Updated 606 days ago

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A Metropolitan Transportation Authority cleaner who was allegedly assaulted by a passenger last week testified in court today.
This is the second court hearing this week for the suspect, 49-year-old Alexander Wright, who is facing two counts of assault and one count of harassment.
The victim, Anthony Nelson, arrived today with his arm appearing to be in a sling underneath his shirt. Nelson didn’t speak to the media, but his loved ones say the current bail of $5,000 is not enough.
His alleged attacker failed to post bail and remains in police custody. He did not speak at his court date on Tuesday.
Wright is accused of assaulting Nelson at the Pelham Bay subway station when the MTA cleaner tried to intervene after Wright was harassing other riders.
The assault left Nelson with a broken collarbone and a broken nose, and he has had to undergo surgery.
Today’s court appearance was for grand jury testimony and was held behind closed doors. Outside of the court, the Transit Workers Union and Nelson’s family called for the bail to be increased and the charges raised.
If found guilty, an assault on an MTA employee can mean a sentence of up to seven years.


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