Two men were attacked by strangers on New York City subway trains during separate incidents on Thursday evening, according to police. The assaults occurred during rush hour and involved unprovoked violence.
In the Bronx, a 26-year-old man was slashed in the face on a northbound No. 4 train around 5:50 p.m. The incident took place as the victim was exiting the train at the East 167th Street & River Avenue station. The attacker, described as a man with a white beard, reportedly got into an argument with the victim before cutting him on the right side of his face. The victim was transported to BronxCare Health System and listed in stable condition. The motive for the argument and subsequent assault remains unclear.
Hours earlier, in Lower Manhattan, a 19-year-old man was assaulted on an uptown 5 train nearing the Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall station. The suspect, who police believe mistook the victim for someone filming him, allegedly struck the younger man with a metal bottle, repeatedly punched him in the face, and placed him in a chokehold. The attack occurred around 4:30 p.m. The assailant fled the scene after the confrontation. The victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital and is in stable condition.
The NYPD has released surveillance images of the suspect involved in the Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall incident. The individual is described as wearing a black hoodie pulled over a white baseball cap, and black shorts. Authorities are asking for public assistance in identifying the suspects in both cases and have provided contact information for their Crime Stoppers Hotline.