Tyquan Manassa, 28, has been charged with four counts of assault in connection with two slashings on a Queens subway platform. The incidents, which resulted in facial injuries to two men, occurred Wednesday afternoon on the southbound E train platform at the Union Turnpike–Kew Gardens station, according to Gothamist.
Manassa, who lives in a homeless shelter on Randall’s Island, was already in police custody on unrelated assault and criminal mischief charges when he was identified as the suspect in the subway slashings. He had previously been apprehended for an incident in the 25th Precinct, which covers East Harlem and Randall’s Island. Authorities linked him to the subway attacks after reviewing surveillance footage and witness statements, resulting in the additional assault charges.
The New York Post reported that, prior to his arrest, Manassa was involved in a disturbance at the Ward’s Island shelter. He allegedly caused more than $1,000 in damage by overturning furniture, tossing a fire extinguisher, flipping a bed with a person on it, and damaging a water and ice dispenser. This incident resulted in charges of criminal mischief and misdemeanor assault before authorities connected him to the subway attacks.
During the subway incident, Manassa reportedly attacked a 42-year-old man and a 50-year-old man, slashing both in the face with an unidentified sharp object. According to police data cited by Gothamist, while overall transit crime in the city has decreased by nearly 5% compared to the previous year, violent assaults in the transit system have shown a slight increase. As of Sunday, more than 500 felony assaults had been reported this year out of a total of 1,800 transit-related crimes.
The two victims were transported to a hospital in stable condition. Video from the scene showed bystanders, including one person applying pressure to a victim’s wound, gathered around the injured men. Details of Manassa’s arraignment were not immediately available. The New York Post stated that he smiled at their photographer but did not respond to questions as detectives escorted him from the NYPD Transit District 20 stationhouse.
