A man with a history of 51 arrests is accused of attempting to assault a 21-year-old woman in a Manhattan subway station on Wednesday night, according to police and sources.
A 44-year-old man, identified as Lamel Batten, reportedly attacked a woman as she was leaving a platform bench at the 116th Street – Columbia University subway station late at night.
Batten was reportedly found without his pants and allegedly assaulted the victim by throwing her against a wall at the No. 1 train station, before forcefully pulling her shirt down and pressing his face against her chest, according to sources.
A man reportedly attempted to remove her pants, but the victim was able to escape and ran to the mezzanine level of the station, where she informed the police about the troubling incident, as per sources.
Authorities apprehended Batten at the location and charged him with attempted rape.
Just weeks prior, the individual in question was arrested for public indecency and exposing themselves at a different subway station on the Upper West Side.
A man was reportedly seen engaging in inappropriate behavior on the No. 1, 2, 3 platform at the 96 Street and Broadway station at approximately 8 p.m. on September 4, as stated in a criminal complaint.
Prosecutors in Manhattan have sought supervised release for charges that are not eligible for bail.
Sources revealed that he has a long criminal record with 51 arrests related to public lewdness, resisting arrest, and drug possession.
Records indicate he spent 14 months at Marcy Correctional Facility before being released in 2011.
In 2017, he returned to prison for having a controlled substance and was granted parole in under a year.
A man faced arrest for a minor theft related to an incident on March 6, 2024, and entered a guilty plea on May 6. The details of his sentence remain uncertain.