Man charged with robbing guy in wheelchair at Malden T stop
MBTA police say they've arrested a man for robbing an ALS patient in a wheelchair who was waiting for an elevator at the Malden Center Orange Line stop.
Scott A. Marra, 39, of Malden, is charged with grabbing the man's wallet out of his hand, then running out of the station, on July 14. According to a statement:
The wallet contained cash, medical ID cards, a credit/debit card, and an MBTA pass for people with disabilities. Following the robbery, the victim's credit card was used to make two separate $100 purchases at a Malden gas station. In addition, the Chelsea man's MBTA pass (which is to be used only by persons with disabilities) was being fraudulently used.
MBTA Police say they were able to track Marra through the credit-card transactions. He's scheduled for arraignment on Monday in Malden District Court; he's currently being held at Transit Police headquarters in lieu of $10,000 bail.
Innocent, etc.
RFID
I wonder if they could use the Charlie Card to track the guy down. Take a look at the time and stations the guy uses. I know they already caught him, but I am still curious about the information the T keeps on card users.
do you give your name
when you purchase a charlie ticket or card?
I don't
They've got him coming and going
The T (more specifically, Joe Pesaturo) just sent out a series of four photos of the alleged loser taken by surveillance cameras at the station. They show him as he approaches the gates on the way in, right after he's gone through the gate, and two of him making what seems to be a hasty retreat out of the gates.
I can post if anybody's interested, they're not the best of photos, but I guess you should alway look up and smile when you go through the gate.
So, ...
the victim was robbed on July 14th, and the MBTA doesn't release the surveillance photos of the suspect until August 2nd?!?
No pun intended here, but there's something wrong with this picture.
Well ...
They didn't arrest him until yesterday.
But do you use an ATM or credit card to fill your CharlieCard?
if so, there is at least theoretically some link between the card and your real name.
exactly, and even without the name
You could track when and where the card had been used after the theft. Predicting when and where the person would have been likely to show up again.
First of all, what a
First of all, what a dick.
Secondly, how do you spend $100 at a gas station, TWICE? That's a lot of Cheetos.
Gasoline
The Globe says he charged $200 worth of gas.
How large is the gas tank of a Hummer?
If it's 25 gallons, and gas is over $4 a gallon, ...
Why the poor guy was waiting for an elevator
Because it was broken and he was waiting for somebody from the T to fix it.
Service Updates
I don't know if they fixed the elevator by now, but apparently there are currently no service disruptions on the Orange Line.
This doesn't surprise me, because the MBTA is horrific at posting updates on broken accessibility malfunctions.
That doesn't excuse a guy in a wheelchair being robbed, of course, but I'm getting sick of the MBTA trying to improve their website and claiming that they have up-to-the-minute service updates, only to find train backups after seeing info suggesting online that there are no delays.
It's like seeing the LED screens on the commuter rail stations saying that all the trains are on/near schedule, only to wait half an hour.
If they're going to tout their "new and improved" website, they've got to have better access to information.
Sorry to bring this thread a bit off-topic, but I just get ticked off by the web of information that gets lost from the top down at the MBTA/MBCR.
But yeah, I feel sorry for the guy who was robbed, and the thief is nothing more than pond scum.