Suspect's photo released in trolley assault

Police have released surveillance images of the man who assaulted a teenage girl on her way to school on a SEPTA trolley earlier this week.

Philadelphia police on Friday distributed a video and photos of the man who attacked the 17-year-old on a crowded Route 15 trolley on Wednesday morning.

The girl got into an altercation with the man after her book bag bumped him on the cramped trolley car, authorities said.

The man stood up from his seat, tried to pull the girl's hat off and punched her during the dispute, leaving the teen with a broken nose, black eye and scratches to her face.

After the 7:45 a.m. attack, the man got off the trolley at Girard Avenue and 7th Street.

He is described as an about 35-year-old black man who was 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall, with a salt and pepper mustache and goatee. At the time of the incident, he was wearing a black skull hat, blue striped shirt, black coat and dark jeans.

The girl was treated at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital for her injuries. Recovering at her grandmother's house on Thursday, she told the Daily News she had argued with and punched the man in self-defense.

Many other schoolchildren were on the trolley at the time, the girl, who wanted to be identified by only her first name, Shay, told the paper.

"There were a bunch of younger kids around - it would have been a lot worse if he'd gone after them," she said.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 215-686-3243 or 215-686-8477 (TIPS). Tipsters can also send a text message to 773847 (PPDTIP).