A scowling maniac stabbed a 40-year-old stranger on the R-train, cops stated Monday — within the fourth transit slashing since Gov. Kathy Hochul bragged about how secure the subways are.
The newest transit chaos unfolded at 2 a.m. Saturday when the attacker approached the sufferer and the 2 bought into an unspecified argument because the practice traveled by the Steinway Avenue station in Astoria, police stated.
The nutjob pulled a knife and stabbed the sufferer thrice within the ribs and as soon as within the leg — however the sufferer managed to stumble out of the practice and was taken to Elmhurst Hospital Middle, the place he was listed in secure situation, based on the NYPD.
He was uncooperative with investigators, sources stated.
The NYPD launched unsettling photographs of the alleged attacker – seen grimacing in a close-up picture. The slasher had stayed on board the practice after the stabbing and was nonetheless on the unfastened late Monday, cops stated.
The conflict was a part of a violent spurt within the subway system that started only a day after the governor introduced that subway crime had dipped to its lowest degree in 16 years, and total transit crime is now practically 15% decrease than in 2019 earlier than the pandemic shutdown.
Hochul boasted the drop in crime got here after a sustained effort that put extra cameras into the subway, an outreach effort that rousted the homeless into care from the trains and a surge of cops.
The governor applauded the document lows as she introduced she’s committing one other $77 million towards retaining NYPD officers within the subway system throughout 2026.
“These funds will assist over 600 officers per day and maintain riders secure and surge patrols the place they’re most wanted on the discretion of our police commissioner to assist cowl extra time for individuals who are doing above and past,” she stated. “To be sure that folks can journey the subways with out concern.”
A day after her announcement, on 7 p.m. Friday, a 23-year-old man was knifed within the again on the northbound No. 1 practice platform at 96th and Broadway, cops stated.
That assault additionally stemmed from a conflict with one other rider – a stranger – and the sufferer was hospitalized in secure situation, police sources stated.
Saturday noticed two extra assaults in Midtown, simply an hour aside.
A 38-year-old man was stabbed within the torso on a crowded 6 practice at Grand Central Station round 5 p.m., cops and sources stated. The 2 had been arguing over how packed the practice was, sources stated.
The attacker was nonetheless at massive Monday.
Then round 6:10 p.m., a 15-year-old boy was slashed within the arm by one other teen sporting a brown jacket on the forty second Avenue–Port Authority Bus Terminal station on the A/C/E line, cops stated.
Sources stated two 17-year-old boys had approached the sufferer and requested him, “are you in a gang?” The 2 had been arrested on the scene and charged with assault, menacing and reckless endangerment.
An NYPD spokesperson stated November was the most secure in recorded historical past exterior of the pandemic. There have been 167 crimes reported that month, in comparison with 222 — a 24.8% drop, the spokesperson stated.
regardless of the latest incidents — with a 24.8% drop, or a discount from 222 to 167, in November.
“This was the most secure July, August, September, October, and November mixed on the subway in recorded historical past, excluding the pandemic yr,” the spokesperson added. “Robberies within the transit system reached their lowest ranges ever for November and the primary 11 months of the yr, together with the pandemic years.”
By Dec. 21, main crimes are down 4.6% whereas there have been 570 assaults in transit within the 5 boroughs — the identical complete for 2024, based on the NYPD. Of the felony assaults in transit, 30% had been in opposition to cops and MTA employees, the spokesperson stated.
