The man who allegedly forcibly removed a 68-year-old passenger from a MARTA train remains in the DeKalb County Jail, charged with simple battery.
Loren Hooks, 43, was booked into the jail Thursday afternoon, and bond was set at $500, with only $100 cash required, according to jail records. But Hooks remained in jail late Friday morning.
His arrest stemmed from a June 7 incident in which a man using a walker was shoved off a train at the East Lake Station.
After cellphone video of the incident was posted online, other passengers told Channel 2 Action News that the older man, whose name has not been released, had been making inappropriate, derogatory comments to female passengers prior to the incident.
MARTA later released surveillance photos of the suspect, generating tips that led to the arrest.
“MARTA appreciates the tips and other assistance we received from witnesses who provided information about the incident,” said Lyle Harris, a spokesman for the transit authority.
He encouraged riders to use the transit system’s See & Say smartphone app to report incidents to the agency. Train customers can also use passenger intercom units located in every MARTA rail car to immediately alert operators of any problems.
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