Today's sentencing marks the closing chapter of a violent encounter that shook the Queens community and highlighted subway safety concerns. William Blount received a 25-year-to-life prison sentence for a brutal hammer attack on a woman, as announced by Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. The attack, dreadfully unsuspecting and vicious in its nature, occurred in February 2022, at the Queens Plaza subway station, leaving the victim with severe injuries, as detailed in a report by the Queens District Attorney's Office.
The incident unfolded late at night when 57-year-old Nina Rothschild was targeted from behind, knocked down the stairs and repeatedly struck in the head with a hammer–Blount then stole her tote bag, which later action helped investigators track him through surveillance footage to a relative’s house; Blount was arrested on February 27, 2022, thanks in part to evidence including a mixture of DNA found on the weapon and cane linked to him and the victim, the DA’s office described the meticulous evidence trail leading to Blount's capture. The victim, Rothschild, was rushed to the hospital, enduring multiple skull fractures and a subsequent surgery that implanted titanium mesh in place of the damaged portions of her skull.
"Our transit system must be safe for everyone and this conviction sends a strong message that those who cause mayhem on our subways will be brought to justice," DA Katz said in remarks following the sentencing, underscoring the attack’s broader implications for public transit security in the city. It also reflects the culmination of a legal process that saw the assailant, now 61, convicted of assault and robbery—although, notably, Blount was acquitted of attempted murder charges, as per the Queens DA's release.
Behind the scenes, Assistant District Attorney Lauren D. Reilly, alongside ADA Skerdjan Bana, undertook the prosecution under the guidance of supervisors from the District Attorney’s Career Criminal Major Crimes Bureau and Felony Trial Bureau I, reflecting a concerted effort by the DA's Office to navigate the complexities of this high-profile case and, as they secured Blount’s conviction, enforce a precedent that such violent acts will meet significant penal consequences.
