A suspect was arrested for allegedly raping a man aboard a subway train in the West Village, according to the NYPD.
The victim, 27, was traveling on a northbound No. 1 train just after 4 a.m. on Saturday. As the train was nearing the Christopher Street station, he was approached by a man who made sexual remarks and demanded money, police said.
The suspect, later identified as Mohammad Azeem, then forced the victim to perform a lewd act before he left the station on foot, the NYPD said.
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WATCH HEREThe victim was taken to a local hospital, where he was expected to recover.
Azeem was arrested Thursday and charged with first-degree rape, sex abuse and forcible touching. Attorney information for the 36-year-old was not immediately clear.
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SIGN UP The Christopher Street station serves the No. 1 and 2 trains and is close to a PATH station.
The arrest occurred the same day as Gov. Kathy Hochul announced $68 billion over the next five years for the New York City subway system. She also confirmed a new plan to expand involuntary removal of those with mental health issues who are considered a danger to themselves and others. The homeless are part of the plan as well.
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"I don’t want anyone to feel that sense of anxiety. That’s what I’ve been fighting," Hochul said Thursday. "We are going to put in some welcome centers, let people have a place to go get them warmed up and we say 'We have a better option for you.'"
The newly approved state budget includes $77 million for 300 officers on overnight trains and 750 officers on platforms and in stations. The MTA touted cameras that led to an arrest in a deadly stabbing at the City Hall subway station during the last week of April — and a camera helped police track down Azeem as well.
Police are asking anyone who has seen the man in the photo below or who has information on the incident to call NYPD Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
