Reid, a mother and grandmother who worked as an MTA station agent, died while the case against two accused attackers remained pending.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Transit workers are mourning MTA station agent Marshalee Reid, whose death at age 52 has brought renewed attention to a 2025 workplace assault and changed the course of the criminal case that followed it.
Reid died Oct. 25, according to TWU Local 100, the union representing transit workers. She had worked for the transit system since 2022 and was a mother and grandmother. More than a year before her death, she was injured during a confrontation at the New Lots Avenue subway station while working on restricted duty as she recovered from brain surgery. Prosecutors are now examining whether any connection exists between that assault and her death.
The June 28, 2025, encounter became a closely watched case for Reid and her union. Police said Reid confronted two women after they entered or attempted to enter the station without paying a fare. Authorities said the encounter became physical and Reid was punched in the face and body. Police also said one of the women used a set of keys during the assault. Reid was taken to a hospital with injuries that included facial cuts and swelling to a hand.
Reid later spoke publicly about what happened. She said she had been knocked down and attacked while working and described continuing fear after the encounter. Her union repeatedly appeared with her as the criminal case moved through court, arguing that assaults against transit employees should be taken seriously and prosecuted.
Ayizhae Thomas and Lashea Aldridge were arrested in the weeks after the confrontation and later indicted. Court records show the women acknowledged being involved in a fight with Reid and her daughter but said they acted in self-defense. The prosecution has accused them of assaulting Reid. The defendants have not been convicted, and their self-defense claims remain part of the unresolved case.
A Kings County Supreme Court ruling issued shortly before the scheduled trial described surveillance evidence gathered during the investigation. Video showed two women and a toddler entering the elevated station and later appearing on the platform and at a nearby business, according to the ruling. Police also obtained statements from both defendants after their arrests.
For Reid’s co-workers, however, the case had long carried a personal dimension beyond the evidence expected at trial. TWU Local 100 said Reid was known for her outspoken personality and strong ties to family and community. The union said she was survived by five children, nine grandchildren and more than 10 siblings.
Her death came as the assault prosecution was approaching trial. Proceedings that had been scheduled to begin Nov. 4 were postponed so prosecutors could review Reid’s medical history and determine whether her death was connected to injuries or circumstances stemming from the attack. News 12 Brooklyn reported that Reid had recently undergone another brain surgery.
Prosecutors have not publicly established a causal link between the assault and Reid’s death. That unanswered medical question is now one of the most important issues facing the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office because its findings could affect what charges the evidence can support. The office has said it will determine after its review whether the existing charges should be upgraded.
Nicolette Browne, division chair of TWU Local 100’s Stations Department, said news of Reid’s death stunned union members. “We were devastated,” Browne said. The union has called for a complete review of the circumstances while continuing to support Reid’s relatives.
The case now stands at the intersection of two unfinished matters: a family and transit workforce mourning Reid, and a criminal prosecution whose next steps depend in part on a medical investigation. No new trial date or upgraded charges had been announced as of Thursday.
Author note: Last updated Nov. 5, 2026.