BOSTON — The MBTA’s safety crisis took another disturbing turn this week after Transit Police released surveillance images of a pajama-wearing man wanted for an indecent assault and battery on a Red Line shuttle bus.
The assault happened around 2 p.m. on November 20 on the replacement shuttle operating between Braintree and North Quincy during scheduled service disruptions. According to investigators, the man allegedly assaulted a woman during the ride before exiting and being captured on station cameras wearing plaid pajama-style pants, a jacket, and a backpack.
Transit Police are urging anyone who recognizes the suspect to contact their Criminal Investigations Unit at 617-222-1050. Callers can remain anonymous.
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ID Sought re: Indecent Assault & Battery 11/20 2PM #MBTA shuttle bus between Braintree/North Quincy Station. Recognize this subject of interest? Pls contact our CIU at 617-222-1050 w/any info. You can remain anonymous. TY pic.twitter.com/ZIhqGGx1av
— MBTA Transit Police (@MBTATransitPD) November 26, 2025
The incident has become the latest flashpoint in a system already rattled by a string of unnerving crimes: armed teens causing chaos on platforms, indecent assaults in busy stations, and a growing number of unprovoked attacks on riders across the network. The steady drumbeat of these incidents has commuters openly questioning whether the MBTA is safe to ride at all.
For many riders, the pajama-wearing suspect has become a symbol of a transit system that appears to be slipping further out of control. An MBTA commuter told Mass Daily News the news “doesn’t even surprise people anymore,” adding that “the MBTA feels like it’s turned into a free-for-all.”
Despite repeated promises to crack down on violence, Massachusetts leaders have offered little evidence that safety is improving. Transit Police remain stretched thin, violent incidents continue to pile up, and riders say they no longer feel protected on trains, platforms, buses, or shuttle routes.
The latest assault — unfolding in the middle of the afternoon on a well-traveled segment of the Red Line — has only heightened anxieties. Each new incident chips away at the public’s confidence, feeding a growing perception that the system is no longer under control and that commuters are increasingly on their own.
As of Wednesday, the pajama-wearing suspect remains at large. The investigation is ongoing.