The chilling silence of an early morning subway ride was shattered when 28-year-old Dariel Castillo allegedly unleashed violence at the Broadway-Lafayette station last month. According to the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., Castillo now faces charges for a pair of knife attacks which include one count each of Assault in the Second Degree, Robbery in the Third Degree, and Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, among others.
The accusations detail two incidents reported by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office that occurred within a 30-minute span on January 28, 2026. The first encounter began when Castillo allegedly snatched a cellphone from a 25-year-old woman sitting on the northbound F train. As the woman struggled to reclaim her property, Castillo is said to have pulled out a knife, and threatening to stab her before she managed to recoup her device and Castillo fled.
Within the same station but on the streets above, a 51-year-old man became Castillo's next alleged target. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office states that after Castillo demanded the man leave the premises, he pursued him up the stairs and, "as the man began walking up the stairs to leave, CASTILLO allegedly followed him and used a knife to stab him several times in the back." The victim was able to seek help and was later hospitalized for the multiple stab wounds inflicted upon him.
With Castillo's arrest on February 4, District Attorney Bragg underscored the gravity of these charges. "As alleged, Dariel Castillo committed two separate acts of violence against strangers just minutes apart, including a brutal stabbing," he stated. "We take attacks in our transit system very seriously and, our office will hold those accountable who undermine its safety," as per the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.
The prosecution is being handled by Assistant D.A. Hunter Carrell, guided by others in the D.A.'s office, and with assistance from paralegal Alexa Grayson. The NYPD, and particularly Detective Ryan Specht of the Manhattan Transit Squad, have received acknowledgment from D.A. Bragg for their contributions to the case.
