NYPD: Kamal Semrade arrested for allegedly shoving woman into moving subway car, critically injuring her
NEW YORK -- The man believed to be behind a terrifying subway attack has been found and charged with murder.
He allegedly pushed a Queens woman head first into a moving train over the weekend on the Upper East Side, severely injuring her spine.
The suspect was arrested at a shelter in Queens and was then held at a police facility at Columbus Circle.
As for the victim, family members say doctors told them initially she was not expected to recover below the neck, but on Tuesday they said she was able to move her arms.
"She has neck injury ... broke neck, her spine," relative Nadim Ozsoy said.
Ozsoy says his whole family is still in shock. On Sunday, 35-year-old Emine Oszoy was on her way to work when she was shoved into a subway train that was pulling out of the Lexington and East 63rd Street station at around 6 p.m.
Emine Ozsoy was rushed to the hospital with serious head, neck and spine injuries, as well as fractured ribs.
The suspect took off.
"Horrible thing, sick person. This guy is mental," Nadim Ozsoy said.
A day later, police arrested 39-year-old Kamal Semrade, who was walked out of Transit District 1 with his head down and saying nothing. He is charged with attempted murder and assault.
Transit officials said in a statement, "The NYPD acted quickly, using pictures from MTA cameras, to arrest a suspect and start delivering justice to the victim, who is in our thoughts at this terrible time. It's now up to prosecutors to pursue maximum consequences available under the law."
Sources say police received a tip that Semrade lived in a shelter near LaGuardia Airport. He was arrested Monday night. When shown his surveillance picture at the scene, he asked for an attorney and didn't make any statements about a motive.
"Was it a hate crime? Was it mental health?" neighbor Lila Stromer said.
Oszoy's neighbor says why her? She has always been very outgoing and friendly.
"When we heard we were just horrified because she is really nice," Stromer said.
Sources say the attack appears to be random but police haven't been able to speak to Emine Oszoy yet. On Tuesday, she underwent a third eight-hour-long surgery and is in and out of consciousness.
Family members told CBS2 her road to recovery will be long and challenging, but say she has always been a fighter.
NYPD stats show so far this year there have been three people pushed onto the tracks, compared to nine in 2022.
