Witness: Elderly man assaulted, robbed at Anacostia Metro station bus stop

WASHINGTON - An alleged assault and robbery at the Anacostia Metro station in Southeast D.C. has one commuter calling on Metro authorities to do more for rider safety.

The woman, who did not want to be identified out of fear for her own safety, told FOX 5 the incident happened Tuesday at around 12:30 p.m.

She reported two men ran by her and up to an elderly man. She saw them punch the man, who fell face first on the ground, and rob him before running away.

"His face was bloody," she recalled. "It was uncontrollable blood -- just gushing from his eyes, his nose, his mouth."

The woman told FOX 5 there were multiple witnesses to the incident, which can be seen in a photo she took of the man lying face down.

She said the man stayed on the ground for about five minutes before she ran to get help from a Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) employee.

"That frightened me," she added. "It scared me. It made me not even want to go back to Anacostia station, but I have to. After experiencing that, I am going to get some therapy because it traumatized me to the utmost."

The woman feels WMATA does not do enough to ensure safety for riders.

"They make sure they get our money, but they don't make sure we get home safely," she said. "They should step up now. This is the time to step up right now before things get out of hand."

WMATA filed an injured person report, but told FOX 5 there were no witnesses and "the victim, who was showing signs of intoxication, stated that he had no idea what happened to him. He did not report any of his property missing."

The woman said three to four people gave statements, including herself.

There were no cameras where the incident happened, but Metro Transit Police detectives have requested video from any Metrobuses that may have been in the area to see if their onboard cameras captured anything, according to WMATA.

Anyone who has any information on this case is asked to call Metro Transit Police at 301-955-5000.