Man accused of attempted rape against woman on Metro train

WASHINGTON — A violent attack last month on a Metro train came to light Monday: A D.C. man is accused of attempted rape and assault against a woman who had been sleeping on a Red Line train bound for Glenmont.

Court documents indicate the incident happened on April 12 around 10 a.m., when the woman awoke on the train near Fort Totten or Takoma. A man with a knife forced her to a different part of the car and forced her to perform a sex act at knifepoint.

At one point, the woman struggled with the man and was cut on the hand.

John Prentice Hicks, 39, of Northeast D.C., was arrested hours after the attack but had not been extradited to Montgomery County until late Friday, according to Metro Transit Police. He faced a bond hearing Monday in Montgomery County District Court where a judge ordered him to stay behind bars.

Police said Metro’s high definition surveillance video from the Glenmont station helped identify Hicks and a Metro Transit Police detective immediately recognized him as a suspect wanted in another sex offense a week earlier.

Hicks is facing three charges, including attempted first-degree rape and assault. He’s scheduled for a preliminary hearing on June 10.

Dick Uliano

Whether anchoring the news inside the Glass-Enclosed Nerve Center or reporting from the scene in Maryland, Virginia or the District, Dick Uliano is always looking for the stories that really impact people's lives.

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