Police ID 'persons of interest' in MARTA?attacks
by Jeff Martin
Associated Press Writer
April 23, 2011 12:00 AM | 259 views | 0 0 comments | 6 6 recommendations | email to a friend | print
ATLANTA - Authorities say they've identified several "persons of interest" who might have leads on a group of 20 to 25 youths who boarded a commuter train bound for Atlanta's airport and attacked the passengers.

One teen bashed a rider in the face with a soda-pop can, pushed him down and stole his wallet. Another passenger was punched in the face during the Saturday night attacks just south of downtown Atlanta.

The riders, both of whom are Delta Air Lines employees, suffered cuts to their faces.

There were surveillance cameras at the station where the suspects boarded the train, but there is no video from inside the train car, said Lyle Harris, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority.

Harris said the attacks were a rare occurrence, and that MARTA is constantly reviewing how its officers are deployed.

State Rep. Mike Jacobs said Friday he wants to know more about whether MARTA is adequately protecting passengers, and he hopes to learn about that issue at a May 3 public hearing in the Coverdell Legislative Office Building near the Georgia Capitol. Jacobs is chairman of a MARTA oversight committee.

"If not properly addressed, I think this incident has the potential to shake customer confidence at some level," Jacobs said of Saturday's attacks.

Jacobs, who travels on MARTA trains, says he's noticed fewer uniformed officers on the trains.

MARTA "has not and will not compromise the safety and security of its system or its customers," the transit authority said in a statement Friday.

"The fact is that this unfortunate crime could have easily happened anywhere," MARTA's statement said.

Comments
(0)
Comments-icon Post a Comment
No Comments Yet
*We welcome your comments on the stories and issues of the day and seek to provide a forum for the community to voice opinions. All comments are subject to moderator approval before being made visible on the website but are not edited. The use of profanity, obscene and vulgar language, hate speech, and racial slurs is strictly prohibited. Advertisements, promotions, spam, and links to outside websites will also be rejected. Please read our terms of service for full guides