Good Samaritan speaks out after trying to stop attack on L train
NEW YORK - Two people were stabbed on L train Tuesday night as it pulled into Union Square.
Cops say a woman was attacked at random. A fellow rider tried to help, but the suspect got away.
CBS2's Kevin Rincon heard from that good Samaritan.
"Honestly, he didn't say two words before he started getting violent," John said.
John - who didn't want to go on camera or give his last name - watched as the suspect, who police believe is a homeless man, towered over a 28-year-old woman.
"The whole time he was giving her eyes and he was, like, snapping his gum, and just staring at her and just acting creepy," he said.
John says the man kept getting closer and closer until eventually he stood right in front of her.
"He punched her in the cheek, and immediately her cheek split open," he said.
At that point, he tried to help.
"I wanted to stop it. I wanted to just get him to the ground and stop him from doing anything else," he said.
That good Samaritan told Rincon he didn't realize he himself was injured until he arrived at the platform.
"I got, like, 26 staples in my head. I got cut all in the back of my head and my upper back," he said.
As he and the woman he tried to help were taken to the hospital, police say the suspect ran up the stairs and got away.
Subway riders say safety continues to be a concern.
"Especially a lot of my family members stopped taking the train because of their safety. They feel threatened, and all of that," said commuter Anderson Valdez.
"We should have more law enforcement down here, point blank, period," one commuter said.
"As parents, I'm constantly checking and double checking and making sure I have people in between me and the kids," said another.
"If anytime individuals feel unsafe to transport themselves back and forth to work and buy goods, it's not good for the system of New York," commuter Andre Webster said.
Police believe the suspect made anti-Muslim comments before hitting the victim. That's now part of the investigation as they try and track him down.
Another incident happened around 10 p.m. Tuesday on a southbound F train near Herald Square.
Police said a 34-year-old man was attacked after arguing with another man. The fight spilled onto the platform at Herald Square, where the victim was stabbed a second time.
It's unclear what led up to the argument, but investigators believe the two men knew each other.
Anyone with information about either stabbing is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.