Career criminal busted in NYC attack on 78-year-old straphanger

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Career criminal busted in NYC attack on 78-year-old straphanger​



By
Amanda Woods


November 1, 2022 11:54am
Updated














A career criminal has been busted for pummeling a 78-year-old Upper West Side straphanger who asked him to turn down his music, authorities say.
Reginald Matthews, 31, who has been arrested at least 25 previous times, was pinched fewer than four hours after the Thursday afternoon Manhattan attack — although at the time, he was only being picked up for a clothing and accessories theft from an unspecified store at the Kings Plaza Mall in Brooklyn, according to cops and a criminal complaint.
Matthews was charged with petit larceny and criminal possession of stolen property in the theft case, the complaint says.
Facial recognition software then helped officers determine that Matthews was also connected to the earlier assault on the senior onboard a southbound No. 2 train near 96th Street, police said.
The suspect, who was still in custody on the theft, was then arrested and charged with assault on a victim over 65, authorities said.
Cops say Matthews lashed out at the elderly rider after his victim asked him to lower the volume of music he was playing on a speaker in the train.
Reginald MatthewsMatthews allegedly pummeled the senior in the head, knocking him to the floor of the moving train.NYPD
Matthews punched the senior in the head multiple times, knocking him to the floor of the moving train before a woman joined in and kicked the septuagenarian in the head, cops and sources said.
The injured straphanger took pictures of his attackers before they fled, according to sources.
The victim was taken to Mount Sinai Morningside hospital in stable condition and received stitches on his forehead, authorities and sources said.
The attack unfolded on a No. 1 train approaching the 96th Street station, shown here.Matthews allegedly attacked an elderly rider who asked him to turn down the music he was playing on a speaker. Bloomberg via Getty Images
The suspects stayed on the train and got off at 34th Street, police said. The woman has not been caught.
Online records show that Matthews was ordered held on $15,000 bail or $30,000 bond in the subway assault. It appears he is still behind bars.
His next court date in connection to that case is scheduled for Nov. 3, the Manhattan DA’s office said.



Matthews has more than two dozen previous busts on his record — with raps including assault, criminal possession of a weapon, criminal contempt, aggravated harassment and forcible touching, cops said. He has no open cases in Manhattan or Brooklyn, according to those district attorney’s offices.
 
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