A man who smeared human feces in a woman’s face in an unprovoked attack on a New York City subway platform has been released without having to post bail — despite his vulgar outbursts at the judge.
Frank Abrokwa, 37, was arrested for the assault on Monday and allegedly joked to arresting officers that “sh-t happens.”
The incident took place during rush hour in the Bronx on Feb. 21. The NYPD released surveillance footage of the attack on Sunday in the hope of identifying a suspect.
“🚨WANTED for an ASSAULT: On 2/21/22 at 5:15 PM, inside of the E. 241 St subway station in the Bronx, the suspect approached a 43-year-old woman sitting on the bench & struck her in the face & the back of her head with human feces. Any info?” NYPD News tweeted, urging anyone with information to message them or call 1-800-577-TIPS. 🚨WANTED for an ASSAULT: On 2/21/22 at 5:15 PM, inside of the E. 241 St subway station in the Bronx, the suspect approached a 43-year-old woman sitting on the bench & struck her in the face & the back of her head with human feces. Any info? DM @NYPDTips, or call 800-577-TIPS. pic.twitter.com/8zCIHNMtgN
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) February 28, 2022
In the video, Abrokwa walks towards the victim with a black plastic bag in his hand before smashing the human feces into her face — then smearing it across the back of her head.
According to the prosecutor, Abrokwa approached the victim and said, “Hey Mami, how come you don’t want to talk to me?”“The complainant did not engage with the defendant,” the ADA said. “Instead of taking the lack of engagement in stride, the defendant responded with violence. He walked into a nearby idling subway car and defecated in a bag.”
“He then walked back to the complainant and repeatedly smashed the bag and left his feces in her face, head, neck, shoulders, and back area. She had feces in her eyes and hair. As he attacked, the defendant stated in sum and substance: ‘Like this, bitch?’”
Abrokwa was picked up by police at a homeless shelter and joked during his arrest that, “sh-t happens. Haha. This is a sh-tty situation. Haha,” Bronx Assistant District Attorney Grace Phillips said during Abrokwa’s arraignment, according to a report from the New York Post.
At the arraignment hearing, Brooklyn detectives also showed up to arrest him for an unrelated hate crime from September. In that case, Abrokwa allegedly approached a 46-year-old man on Utica Avenue near Park Place in Crown Heights and said, “F–king Jew, I’m going to kill you.” He then spat on the victim and attempted to punch him, but missed.
Phillips also asked the court for an order of protection for the victim, to which Abrokwa replied, “I don’t know that b-tch.”
Abrokwa grew impatient during the hearing and pleaded with the judge to go with the Brooklyn officers.
“Why am I being mistreated by the system?” he asked during one of the outbursts.
“I’m being respectful. I’m talking to my attorney,” he said to the judge. “You’re talking to her. Not to me. F-ck you, bitch.”
Abrokwa’s antics became so disruptive that the judge temporarily removed him from the courtroom.
“Ultimately, Abrokwa was freed without bail — because the charges against him were not bail-eligible under the state’s bail reform laws, despite prosecutors’ request for him to be held on $15,000 bond, or $5,000 cash,” the Post reports. “Abrokwa has 22 prior unsealed arrests dating back to 1999, and dozens of sealed arrests, according to authorities and police sources.”
