SILVER SPRING, Md. — A D.C. man has been arrested for attempted rape while aboard a Red Line Metro train on Thursday. Metro Transit Police announced the arrest of 23-year-old Mekhi Thomas in a social media post Friday.
Investigators say the crime happened just after noon near the Silver Spring Metro station. In addition to the attempted rape charge, Thomas faces charges of assault, robbery and several additional charges, police said.
According to court documents obtained by WUSA, the victim told a detective she boarded the Red Line train around 11:50 a.m. A short time later, she told police Thomas boarded, making them the only two people in the car.
A few minutes later, the victim told police Thomas assaulted her and stole her iPhone, which she had used to show him the time. After grabbing her phone, Thomas reportedly ran away and avoided paying Metro fare.
The entire attack lasted around two minutes, court documents allege.
Thomas was later arrested after an image of him, captured by surveillance cameras showing the attack, was shared among law enforcement.
Metro Transit Police put out a reminder to commuters that if they see suspicious behavior or criminal activity, they should call 202-962-2121 or text MyMTPD.
Metro Transit Police have been dealing with an uptick in crime across the board in 2023. According to the department's October crime report, Part 1 crimes — such as aggravated assault, robbery and larceny — are up 49% from the same time last year. Part 2 crimes, like vandalism and disorderly conduct, have also seen a jump. According to the most recent crime report, Part 2 crimes are up more than 30% from this time in 2022.
Ridership is also climbing. On Tuesday, Metro announced the highest single-day rail ridership since the pandemic began, connected to the March for Israel in D.C.