The NYPD is looking for a knife-wielding suspect who left a subway rider needing stitches after he slashed him in the face and chest, then tackled him onto the tracks at a busy Brooklyn station as crime in the transit system continues to plague the city.
Security footage released Sunday by the NYPD on their CrimeStoppers Twitter account shows a man in a black Nike hoodie lingering on the southbound platform at Broadway Junction in East New York around 9:45 p.m. Wednesday.
The man appears to have left his phone on the ground and his headphones splayed across the platform, and as 52-year-old victim Angel Trujillo walked by they exchanged words before the suspect slashed him.
The attack on Trujilo is the latest in a string of violent attacks that have sent subway crime soaring by 63% in 2022.
‘It’s crazy, so many things are happening on the train,’ Trujillo told the Daily News, ‘The cops show up after the incident happens — so I tried to deal with it myself, and I got stabbed.’
NYPD statistics show that 201 felony assaults had taken place in the subways as of May 1, a 25% increase in attacks from the same time last year.
The suspect (left) had left his cell phone and earbuds on the ground of the subway platform (bottom right), which the Angel Trujilo (right) stepped on as he passed
The suspect called after Trujilo, passing what appeared to be a boxcutter between his hands
In the video, Trujilo stepped on one of the earbuds as he walked by, leacding the man in the hoodie to immediately call after him and pull out a boxcutter.
Truijilo approaches and the two exchange words, then the man in the hoodie slashes at the victim.
The two begin to fight, and Trujilo slaps a jacket across the attacker as a grocery cart of his possessions goes flying. They wrestle up the platform as bystanders back away, then when Trujilo begins to flee the man in the hoodie tackles him and they both topple over the edge of the platform and onto the subway tracks below.
After exchanging words, the suspect slashed at Trujilo with the boxcutter and the fight began
The fight spread up the platform, scattering the suspect’s possessions and bystanders alike
The fight continues down on the rails before the footage cuts off.
READ RELATED: Joseph Chowaniec Charged with Threatening Buffalo Businesses
NY Daily news spoke to Trujilo, who said he forgives his attacker, despite being left with a gash down the front of his torso and a hacked up ear, both requiring multiple stitches to close.
‘I’m not angry at the guy,’ Trujillo said, ‘I forgive him because I’m also homeless. And I know a lot of people living that life and it’s hard.’
Trujilo said the fight started because of the attacker’s headphones.
When Trujilo attempted to flee, the suspect pursued him and tackled him to the ground
The pair rolled over into the subway tracks where the fight continued before the footage ended
‘I told him, ‘Why would you leave your phone on the floor of a train station? It’s the city, everyone is always bumping into everyone. Why would you leave your items there?’
‘I was scared a train was going to come. I wasn’t scared to get electrocuted because we didn’t fall by [the third rail]. But I was scared a train would hit us.’
Trujilo was on the way to visit his sister, a diabetic on dialysis with a disabled son, when he was attacked.
The NYPD posted about the attack on their CrimeStoppers Twitter account on Sunday
‘I have a family that can help me. But this guy was a kid, in his 30s,’ he added. ‘I forgive him because he’s probably mentally ill.’
The attack on Trujilo is the latest in a string of violent attacks that have sent subway crime soaring by 63% in 2022.
‘It’s crazy, so many things are happening on the train,’ Trujillo told the Daily News, ‘The cops show up after the incident happens — so I tried to deal with it myself, and I got stabbed.’
NYPD statistics show that 201 felony assaults had taken place in the subways as of May 1, a 25% increase in attacks from the same time last year.
Source:
