Man arrested after violent purse snatching at Toronto subway station caught on camera

A Toronto man has been arrested in connection with a violent purse snatching that sent a victim flying down a set of stairs at Broadview subway station on Monday.

The arrest comes after police released video footage of the incident, which happened just before 7 p.m. on Jan. 23.

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According to police, the suspect approached an adult female victim after she entered the station. Police said the suspect grabbed the woman’s purse, causing her to fall down a flight of stairs.

In the video, the victim can be seen sailing across the floor after crashing down the stairs, some of her belongings scattering across the ground. The suspect then flees with her purse as she is left to gather herself.

McKinley Manalang, 44, has been charged with robbery, failure to comply with a judicial release and failure to comply with a probation order.

The accused attended the College Park Courts located at 444 Yonge Street today.

The robbery is just one of many of recent incidents of violence to occur on TTC property. This week alone, a woman was stabbed and left with life-altering injuries on a downtown streetcar and a 16-year-old boy was stabbed on a bus.

These incidents and others prompted Mayor John Tory, alongside Police Chief Myron Demkiw to hold a news conference Thursday afternoon, to address the issue of violence on public transit.

In it, Demkiw announced that Toronto police will be rolling out an increased presence across the TTC, with 80 police officers deployed on the transit network daily, which Demkiw says will focus on reducing victimization, preventing crimes of opportunity, and enhancing public safety.