Police in Brooklyn are searching for two women accused of beating an MTA worker, who was recovering from brain surgery, after allegedly jumping a turnstile at an East New York subway station over the weekend.

At New Lots Ave. subway station, the 51-year-old MTA employee, Marshalee Reid, was on the ‘3’ train mezzanine at around 1:15 p.m. on June 28 when she confronted one woman who had jumped the turnstile, police said.

While holding the emergency door open and asking the woman to pay, a second woman then attempted to slip through without paying.

After confronting both women, they began punching Reid multiple times in the face and body, before throwing her to the ground. One of the women also struck her with a set of keys, causing facial lacerations.

Neither of the suspects hung around to catch the train and instead fled the scene on foot. EMS took Reid to Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center in stable condition, according to the NYPD.

According to the Transport Workers Union, at the time of the assault, Reid was recovering from a brain surgery she underwent last year and had been on restricted duty at the station.

At a Tuesday press conference, TWU Local 100 President John Chiarello criticized MTA leadership, saying CEO Janno Lieber had not reached out since the incident and called on him to help coordinate efforts to get more police officers into hot spots, where he said station agents and other union members are at risk of attack almost every day. 

“This here is just a senseless crime,” Station VP Robert Kelley said during Tuesday’s press conference. “This was merely a station agent doing their job, performing customer service, when she was attacked unprovoked. 

On Tuesday, police released surveillance images of the suspects and asked the public for help identifying them

The first woman is described as being 25 to 30 years old, with a light complexion and short black hair. She was last seen wearing a black T-shirt, multicolored shorts, and white shoes. The second is also believed to be 25 to 30 years old, with a light complexion and short orange hair. She was last seen in a pink shirt, blue jeans, and black sandals.

Transit crime in Brooklyn’s 75th Precinct, where the assault occurred, is up 71% year-to-date, with 14 reported incidents in the first six months of the year. Citywide transit-related crimes have declined slightly—down 2.9% compared to the same period in 2024, logging 1,009 cases through June 22.

The NYPD’s Manhattan South patrol has recorded the highest number of transit-related crimes in 2025 so far, with 342 incidents. The 14th Precinct covering Midtown South accounts for the largest share within that region, reporting 104 of those cases.

Anyone with information regarding the June 28 attack can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.