62-Year-Old Man Pushed Onto Subway Tracks In Lower Manhattan
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The NYPD is searching for a suspect after another subway shoving attack.
They said a 62-year-old man was pushed onto the tracks at around 11:30 a.m. on Sunday. Fortunately, the incoming train was able to stop in time as it pulled into the A and C station at Fulton and Williams street. The victim only suffered minor injuries.
But the victim of a previous attack on Jan. 15 wasn't so lucky. Police said Michelle Go was waiting for a train on the platform in Times Square when she was shoved in front of an oncoming train. Simon Martial, described by police as a homeless ex-con, is facing second-degree murder charges.
"I don't feel comfortable coming by the line. I always stay in the middle. And if someone is coming near me, I always turn to keep eye contact," straphanger Ana Cespedes of Brooklyn said.
There have been at least three unprovoked attacks so far this year involving someone pushed on to the tracks. The surge in subway violence has advocates up in arms, CBS2's Thalia Perez reported.
"I blame our elected officials because there's a lot of back and forth debating, but no one wants to take responsibility," said Charlton D'Souza, president of Passengers United.
In response, MTA Acting Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber said, "These incidents are unacceptable and have to stop. New Yorkers are coming back to the subway and they need it to be safe. We're grateful to the governor, the mayor and the NYPD commissioner for their commitment to more visibly deploy officers and to humanely address people with mental health issues who might present a risk to New Yorkers using the subway system."
D'Souza said he plans to bring his concerns to the table at both the MTA committee and board meetings this week.
CBS2's Thalia Perez contributed to this report, which first appeared on Jan. 23.