A maniac simply launched from a psych ward pushed an aged man to his demise down Manhattan subway steps in a brutal unprovoked assault late Thursday, police mentioned.
The brute — seen in a surveillance picture obtained by The Publish — allegedly hurled complete stranger Ross Falzone, 76, down the steps resulting in the No. 1 prepare station at West 18th Avenue and seventh Avenue round 9:30 p.m., cops mentioned.
Falzone was a highschool instructor who lived an energetic life, and particularly loved the symphony, his neighbors recalled.
“He should [have] been coming dwelling from wherever he was,” mentioned neighbor Marc Stager, 78, who moved into Falzone’s Higher West Aspect constructing in 1981 and knew the senior since then. “He’s only a helpless outdated man. What a cowardly and idiotic factor to do.”
Falzone was a “candy and respectable man” who “wasn’t a hermit,” and made his profession educating English or historical past, Stager recalled.
“He should [have] been coming dwelling from wherever he was. He’s only a helpless outdated man. What a cowardly and idiotic factor to do,” he added of the assault.
“He labored as a highschool instructor, perhaps taught English or Historical past, can’t be certain,” Stager mentioned. “He had one thing of a life. He had a great pension and social safety so he was financially safe.”
Moments earlier than the lethal violence, the yet-to-be recognized suspect trailed about 30 yards behind Falzone as he walked north on Seventh Avenue approaching 18th Avenue in Chelsea, authorities mentioned.
As the boys approached the prepare station at that intersection, the attacker allegedly sped up and violently shoved the harmless senior down the steps into the station, in line with police.
Falzone landed on his head about midway down the steps and suffered a traumatic mind damage, proper rib fracture and spinal fracture, cops mentioned.
Officers discovered Falzone unconscious and unresponsive, and medics rushed him to Bellevue Hospital, the place he died simply earlier than 3 a.m. Friday, authorities mentioned.
A 32-year-old pediatric physician who has lived within the constructing for 5 years mentioned Falzone lived a really energetic and unbiased life.
“He lived in a stroll up and was all the time out and about,” the physician mentioned. “I might see him if I used to be leaving for a late shift. He’d be going out for dinner late similar to any common New Yorker.”
“He’s lived right here for a really very long time and he had many tales to inform in regards to the constructing earlier than its renovation,” the pediatrician added.
Upstairs neighbor Briel Waxman, who’s in her mid-30s and works in promoting, mentioned she usually heard classical music taking part in from Falzone’s unit.
“He went to dwell performances at Lincoln Middle. I might usually see him as I used to be getting back from a late night time round midnight,” Waxman mentioned.
The particular person of curiosity, who has not but been formally recognized by the NYPD, was
“appearing erratically” outdoors the NYPD’s seventeenth Precinct station home simply earlier than 3:30 p.m. Thursday — about six hours earlier than the assault, cops mentioned.
He allegedly grabbed a stick out of a rubbish container and held it to his facet whereas approaching an officer, police mentioned.
Cops demanded that he drop the stick, which he did inside about three seconds, cops mentioned.
He was in the end taken to Bellevue Hospital as an “emotionally disturbed particular person,” police mentioned.
He was shuffled by way of the triage space and moved to the hospital’s Complete Psychiatric Emergency Program, which launched him round 4:40 p.m., cops mentioned.
His actions between his launch and the time of the deadly shove weren’t instantly recognized.
The suspected assailant was picked up by two detectives on the northbound C and E platform of Penn Station round 3:30 p.m. Friday, authorities and sources mentioned.
The keen-eyed pair acknowledged the fleeing perpetrator from his picture, cops mentioned.
He was awaiting prices by the early night.
