A 34-year-old man training to be a Metro-North engineer was arrested aboard a train on Tuesday morning after a female passenger said he sexually assaulted her, officials said.
Manny Ramos, of Brooklyn, N.Y., has been in the engineer training program since March 2013. He is currently suspended without pay, said MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan.
Ramos has been charged with public indecency and breach of peace, both misdemeanors, a Metro-North spokesperson said. He was released on $1,000 bail.
Metro-North hired Ramos as coach cleaner in October 2011. His pre-employment background check showed no criminal record and prior to this incident Ramos had no disciplinary problems while employed by Metro-North, the railroad said.
A woman on a train from Grand Central to New Haven said she was sitting with her eyes closed “when she noticed Ramos standing above her exposing himself, and realized he had committed a lewd act on her,” a Metro-North spokesperson said.
The woman followed the man as he exited the train at the Fairfield station and told a conductor what had happened.
Fairfield police and MTA police met the train and located the woman. Other officers canvassed the area for the suspect.
Fairfield Police Sgt. Christopher Ioli located Ramos, who fit the description of the suspect, on the Unquowa Road bridge. Witnesses who were in the train car at the time of the incident confirmed that Ramos was the perpetrator, McNamara said.
Ramos was turned over to MTA police.
The incident occurred on the 7:35 a.m. train from Grand Central. The train was held at the Fairfield station for 54 minutes as police investigated, a spokesperson said.
“These incidents are rare, but unfortunately at times they do occur,” said Fairfield police Chief Gary McNamara. “We encourage people to be aware of their surroundings, to watch out for each other while you are anywhere or on mass transit.”
Metro-North is filing disciplinary charges to seek Ramos’ dismissal, the railroad said.
“Everyone at Metro-North is outraged by the disgusting actions that this employee is alleged to have committed,” said Metro-North President Howard Permut.
