Midwood High School Teen Busts Attacker On The Q Train

A Muslim teen chased down an attacker who slapped an Orthodox Jewish woman on the Q train on Tuesday, reports the NY Daily News.

Ahmed Khalifa, 17, a senior at Midwood High School, was riding the train home from work when he saw a tall man hit the woman in the face just before 8pm on Tuesday, December 27, reports the Daily. At the time, she was reading on the Coney Island-bound Q train near the Newkirk Plaza station.

The impact smashed her glasses and knocked her to the ground, leaving her with a swollen lip, lacerations, and bruises on her face, according to police.

After calling for the conductor for help, Khalifa sprinted after the assaulter, enlisting the help of passersby and the Flatbush Shomrim (a Jewish security patrol), according to video testimony. You can see footage of the arrest and an interview with Khalifa above.

When he was caught trying to board a bus near Newkirk Plaza, the victim identified her attacker and he was arrested. Rayvon Jones, 31, was charged with assault and violation of local law, said cops.

This wasn’t the first time Khalifa defended the victim of an attack, according to the video interview. “In Kensington, there was a Jewish kid getting beat up by a bunch of guys who were trying to rob his bike. And I stepped in and took action.”

When he’s called a hero, on Facebook or during the video interview, Khalifa modestly denies it, saying that he’s just doing what anyone should do — the right thing.

“I believe that Muslims and Jewish people should get along, and a lot of what you hear over social media just isn’t real,” he said. “I believe we’re all distant cousins and we should all just love each other.”