Police have arrested a man they say is behind a series of random attacks at a Brooklyn subway station over the weekend.
Benita Frias, one of the victims of Saturday’s subway attack, is recovering from surgery on Monday after the random, violent assault.
Her family says the attack came out of nowhere.
“She didn’t look at him on the face, there was no interaction,” said the victim’s daughter Isamar Duran.
The daughter of the 43-year-old victim says her mother was coming home from her overnight job as a home health aide when she was violently assaulted.
Frias’ mother described the severe beatings to her daughter’s face, the back of her head, her chest and her smashed knee.
“She’s very traumatized, she’s in shock,” Duran said.
Frias and two other women were attacked Saturday around 8:30 a.m. at the R train station at 53rd Street and 4th Avenue in Sunset Park.
Police say 25-year-old Curtis Signal began his violent rampage by pushing a 51-year-old woman onto the tracks, then attacking Frias and then punching a 17-year-old girl.
Signal has nine prior arrests dating back five years. Most are for assault and two of those assaults happened in the transit system. He is on probation.
“This is very concerning, because why is somebody like that on the streets, why is that person not even in jail? I don’t understand,” Duran said.
The other two victims of Saturday’s attack are said to be stable as Frias’ family waits for her to come home.
Signal was arraigned Sunday night and is being held without bail. He faces at least three assault charge and possible more charges.
When he was arrested, police say he told them, “he did what he had to do.”
———-
* More Brooklyn news
* Send us a news tip
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
* Follow us on YouTube
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.