QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11) — A man forced a woman from a Queens subway station in a sexually motivated attack last week, police said.
The NYPD announced the arrest of Roy Higgins, 29, on Thursday morning. The attack happened a week ago, around 9:45 a.m. on April 21.
Higgins is accused of grabbing the 22-year-old victim inside the Flushing–Main Street station and forcing her up the stairs and down Main Street toward Kissena Boulevard. He then took her into the lobby of a building on Kissena Boulevard, forcibly restrained the victim and exposed his genitals, police said.
The victim was able to break free from Higgins and run from the lobby, police said. The woman refused medical attention after reporting the attack.
Higgins faces charges of attempted criminal sex act, public lewdness and unlawful imprisonment, police said.
The incident occurred amid heightened scrutiny over the NYPD’s ability to keep subway riders safe following a spike in violent crimes underground, including two recent shootings. Earlier this week, Mayor Eric Adams said he was “disappointed” in the deployment of additional transit officers who were sent into the subway system to curb crime.
