Woman Scratched, Bit Subway Rider When Asked to Move Bag From Seat: NYPD

A woman flew into a rage when a fellow subway rider tried to sit in a seat that had her bag on it, allegedly pushing, scratching and biting the rider before running off the train and fleeing the station in Queens, police said.

The 45-year-old victim was riding the Manhattan-bound F train from Queens at about 9:45 a.m. last Friday, Aug. 14, and she asked another woman to move her bag from a seat so that she could sit, according to police.

The woman sitting in the seat did not respond, and when the standing straphanger tried to sit anyway, the seated woman became enraged, police said. She pushed the victim, scratching her on the chest, and pulled her hair and bit her forearm, causing her to bleed.

The suspect ran off the train when it stopped at the 21st Street and Queensbridge station in Long Island City.

The victim was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in stable condition.

Police are attempting to identify and locate the suspect, who's pictured above. Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS.

Ads from a "Courtesy Counts" public service campaign launched by the MTA in January, still posted in trains across the city, specifically remind riders to keep personal items off seats, stating: "Keep your stuff to yourself. The less space your things take up, the more room for everyone."

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