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Woman Fights Off Serial Masturbator On Subway By Stabbing Him With His Own Knife

Woman Fights Off Serial Masturbator On Subway By Stabbing Him With His Own Knife

The man's lawyer alleged in court that it was his client that was the victim and not the woman

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

A woman has been taken to hospital after a terrifying encounter on a New York City subway. People will always tell you to be wary of catching public transport late at night and this story only reinforces this idea.

The woman was taking the Bay Ridge-bound R train around 2am on Friday morning.

Unfortunately for her, she fell asleep and let her guard down during her journey. When she woke up, she saw a man, named Reggie Frank, sitting across from her masturbating and staring directly at her.

PA

Not only that, but the public masturbator then pulled out a switchblade and a can of pepper spray and attacked the woman.

The victim was sliced in the hand before the two became entangled in a brawl. They spilled onto the 36 St. station in Sunset Park, where the woman managed to take hold of the knife and stabbed Frank in the chest and arm. They were both taken to a Brooklyn hospital for treatment.

The victim's sister has told the New York Daily News how terrified they are after the incident.

Frank was caught in 2015 pleasuring himself on a subway.
writeinbk/Instagram

"There was someone on the platform who helped her," she said. "She's been sleeping more than anything else. I am beside myself. How would it make you feel if that was your sibling?

"I want him to be off the streets. I don't want this to happen to another person. It could have been a child."

Frank eventually wound up in court, where his lawyer tried to argue that he was the victim and not the perpetrator. William O. Fowlkes told the judge: "My client was attacked. Maybe she woke up and thought he was coming for her purse. She saw a guy a little too close."

He tried to allege that the woman might have been startled by the 56-year-old and lashed out.

PA

But he's been convicted of public masturbation in the past.

In 2015, he was caught twice in three weeks pleasuring himself in front of women on NYC subways. Court documents also reveal he was arrested twice in 2006 for exposing himself, with one incident causing harm to a person.

However, this time it wasn't because of an attack, but because a witness fell onto the subway tracks 'in a state of uncontrollable laughter (and) suffered a fractured skull'. That same year, he reportedly attacked a woman who rejected his advances.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: America, News, crime, New York City, court