Bronx Mother Groped and Slashed on MTA Bus Calls for Increased City Control

A Bronx mother of two, Stephanie Aquino, was subjected to a horrifying ordeal on a rush-hour MTA bus when she was groped and then slashed by an unhinged man. Aquino has called out President Joe Biden and Mayor Eric Adams, holding them responsible for regaining control of the city. In a phone interview with The Post, Aquino expressed her fear and desperation, praying to see her 3-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter again.

Aquino recounted the incident, stating that she was on a crowded Bx2 bus around 5:15 p.m. on Friday when she heard a fellow passenger mumbling incoherently. The man proceeded to touch her buttocks, denying any involvement when confronted. Aquino, hoping to avoid further trouble, informed the bus driver about the incident. However, instead of stopping his inappropriate behavior, the assailant attempted to slap Aquino. She managed to evade the strike and reported the incident to the driver once again.

As the bus approached the intersection of East Tremont Avenue and Grand Avenue, the assailant, described as a lanky man wearing large Bluetooth headphones, became enraged and began cursing at Aquino. Fearing for her children’s safety, Aquino turned to her faith and prayed aloud. However, the assailant attacked her, prompting the bus driver to open the door. He dragged Aquino off the bus, causing her to fall and injure herself. Determined to protect herself, she quickly got up, aware that her life was at stake.

Aquino initially planned to chase her attacker but decided to re-board the bus instead. However, to her dismay, the enraged assailant followed her back onto the bus. Despite the screams of fellow passengers, no one came to her aid. The assailant then fled the scene, evading capture even after being struck with a stick by a bystander.

Aquino was taken to BronxCare Health System, where she continues to experience pain, headaches, anxiety, and fear. She believes that both local and national leaders must take more significant measures to protect New Yorkers, particularly by increasing police presence in the transit system uptown and in the Bronx. Aquino attributes the decline in the city’s safety to the expiration of federal unemployment benefit programs during the COVID-19 pandemic and the revolving-door criminal justice system enabled by the state’s bail reform laws.

The NYPD has released a photo of the assailant, who remains at large. Described as a slim-built man between 25 and 30 years old, weighing between 100 and 135 pounds, and standing between 5-foot-7 and 6-foot-2, he was last seen wearing a black or gray jacket, black and blue jeans, a pink backpack, and white sneakers. Anyone with information about the assault is urged to contact the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline.