Man Punches Pregnant Woman For Refusing To Give Up Her Seat On Bus

A pregnant woman riding a late-night bus in Philadelphia was punched in the face after she refused to give up her seat to a fellow passenger.

The attacker was arrested Monday for ambushing the woman, who was two months into her pregnancy, using public transport.

The incident unfolded on a Market-Frankford Line Night Owl bus on Sunday near 8th and Market Streets in Center City. The suspect went up to the pregnant woman at around 1:45 a.m. and demanded that she give up her seat for him, to which the woman refused.

Cops said the suspect then punched the woman, pushed her and then escaped from the scene, according to CBS Philly.

The bus operator immediately informed the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (or SEPTA) Transit Police about the assault. The victim was taken to the Jefferson University Hospital for treatment with injuries that were not life-threatening. Both the mother and the baby are reportedly doing fine after the attack.

“Police said the suspect approached the woman, who was seated, and demanded that she give her seat to him. When she refused, he punched her in the face and pushed her, then fled,” SEPTA said about the incident, as quoted by NBC10 Philadelphia.

The suspect, who remains unidentified, was arrested by the cops Monday, according to a SEPTA spokesperson. It is currently unclear what charges the man might face for attacking the pregnant woman.

Andrew Busch, a spokesperson for SEPTA, told 6abc Action News that it did not seem like the assailant specifically targetted the pregnant woman.

"It appears that he just got on the bus, and I don't know if she was the first person he saw, but he then proceeded with this assault," Busch told the outlet.

Although SEPTA bus riders were not surprised by the news of the incident, they found it frightening nevertheless.

"It definitely makes me feel more nervous," Donica Wilson of West Philadelphia told the publication. "I just bought pepper spray the other day just to make sure I'm safe because I do ride it pretty often."

Rachel Matthews of Northern Liberties also said they carefully choose where they sit in an effort to be extra safe.

“I kind of purposefully pick where I sit," Matthews told the outlet. "I try to keep my back against walls just to kind of make myself feel a bit safer."