New York’s Subway Feces Attacker Makes Mockery of Bail Reform Laws

The disturbing state of New York’s subway system, and how it handles crime in general, is back on display.

Frank Abrokwa, 37, was arrested and charged in connection with the February 21st incident where he was caught on video smearing feces into the face of a woman who was waiting for a rush hour train on Monday evening.

NYC police discovered after booking Abrokwa that he is also the suspect in a series of unrelated recent crimes, yet he was still allowed to walk free without bail.

According to NBC News:

Abrokwa had previously been arrested last Tuesday — after the feces incident but before he was identified as the suspect — and charged with robbery, grand larceny, petty larceny, menacing with a weapon — a screwdriver — criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of stolen property, the NYPD told NBC News.

Those charges were in connection with a reported crime in which he allegedly stole items from a store and, when challenged by an employee pulled out a screwdriver and held it “it in a menacing way” and challenged them to call the police.

NBC New York reported Abrokwa already had two other cases pending in Manhattan for misdemeanor assaults earlier in February in which he allegedly randomly punched people in the face.

None of the charges Abrokwa has faced qualify for him to be held on bail under New York state’s bail reform laws, NBC New York reports.

Janno Lieber, chair and CEO the MTA — the transit agency overseeing the subways where the feces attack took place — said Thursday that Abrokwa’s release “defies common sense.”

“I’m not a criminal justice expert, but I don’t understand how someone who commits this kind of assault — which was violent, horribly victimizing a transit rider — can just walk free even when he has four other open cases against him, including two other transit assaults and a hate crime charge.”

Abrokwa’s attorney, William Ferris John, has not responded to any requests for comments.