A man has been charged in relation to a rape at gunpoint on a Philadelphia subway platform.
Namir Thomas, 20, is also charged with indecent sexual intercourse, two counts of robbery, two counts of unlawful restraint and firearms and related offenses, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office announced Wednesday.
The charges came the day after the Philadelphia Police Department announced the detainment of a person of interest in the case. The alleged rape happened Monday in SEPTA’s Snyder subway station in South Philadelphia.
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Online court records were not immediately available to indicate whether Thomas has retained an attorney who can comment on his behalf.
"It was a traumatic event that occurred down on that platform," Capt. James Kearney, commanding officer of the Special Victims Unit, said Monday.
The 40-year-old woman told police officers when they arrived around 4:45 a.m. that she was with her boyfriend trying on some clothing ahead of the attack, Kearney said. The woman first arrived to the subway platform around 4 a.m.
The boyfriend first saw a man in a NASA sweatshirt, but briefly lost track of him before the attack, Kearney said. The attacker pointed a gun at the woman's boyfriend and at her back. He then demanded sex, Kearney said.
The boyfriend could be seen in surveillance video with his hands up. "He was made to watch," Kearney said.
The man carried a black handgun with a green slide and an extended magazine during the attack and rode a bicycle in the underground, police said.
Police recovered DNA at the scene that was being processed, Kearney said.
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Police warned anyone who spots the attacker not to approach but to call 911 immediately.
Anyone with information on the attack is asked to submit tips by phone or text to 215-686-8477 or submit a tip anonymously online.
Resources for victims of sexual assault are available through the National Sexual Violence Resources Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673.
