West Philly woman charged with attempted murder for unprovoked SEPTA bus stabbing
Investigators said Lateefah Brown stabbed a man in the back of his head as they got off a bus at Route 110 bus near the Marple Crossroads Mall.
As a Route 110 SEPTA bus stopped near the Marple Crossroads Mall on Thursday afternoon, a West Philadelphia woman pulled out a pocketknife and stabbed one of her fellow passengers in the head, police said Friday.
Lateefah Brown, 45, has been charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, and related crimes in an attack that Marple Township Police Chief Brandon Graeff described as unprovoked.
Brown remained in custody Friday in lieu of 10% of $1 million bail. There was no indication she had hired an attorney.
The victim was being treated at Lankenau Medical Center for multiple stab wounds to his head and neck, Graeff said. He was in stable condition.
The attack took place just before 6 p.m., as Brown and the man were getting off the bus, according to Graeff. While the man’s back was turned, Brown pulled a folding knife from her pants pocket and stabbed him, Graeff said.
The victim and his friend were able to flee from Brown, stopping to rest in front of a nearby JoAnn Fabrics, Graeff said. The man had lost so much blood in the attack that officers were able to follow its trail to find him.
A Marple Township officer, already on scene to investigate reports of shoplifting at a Walmart in the mall, was able to take Brown into custody.
Brown admitted to the stabbing, Graeff said, and told the officer that she didn’t know the man she had attacked. Her motive for the crime was unclear.
The victim, meanwhile, told investigators he had never seen Brown before, and had not spoken to her while on the bus.
Witnesses on the bus, including the driver, corroborated that story, telling police there had been no argument between the two, Graeff said.
Brown is scheduled to appear before a district judge for a preliminary hearing on May 15.