Shocking moment woman is stabbed by a thief trying to steal her money in train station elevator in Philadelphia

This is the shocking moment a woman is stabbed by a knifeman during a robbery in a train station elevator.

Police in Philadelphia have released CCTV footage showing the female victim entering the elevator at a SEPTA stop in the Kensington Avenue area of Fishtown in the early hours of Saturday moing, where she is closely followed by a man.

Once the doors close the pair then stand still for a short while, before the man produces a large kitchen knife and starts waving it around.

He then starts demanding money from the victim's pockets and holds her against the side of the elevator by her throat.

The suspect then stabs the woman in the side, and she falls to the floor, trying to keep hold of her bag.

But despite her falling to the ground, the man still tries to rifle through her pockets.

However, when he can't find anything he flees on foot, leaving the woman screaming in agony.

According to Philadelphia Police, the victim was taken to Episcopal Hospital where she is in a stable condition being treated for puncture wounds.

Philadelphia Police Captain Mark Burgmann told ABC: 'She was actually frozen there in the coer for quite a while, you could see she was terrified.

'The victim is quite lucky, you saw the size of that knife and the way he was swinging it and stabbing her. She's lucky to be alive.

'There's real good images of his face. Somebody out there knows him.'

The suspect is described as black, aged 36 to 38, five foot eight inches tall and of medium build with a light beard.

He was wearing dark colored pants, a gray hat and was armed with a knife.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 215-686-TIPS.