The Tuesday morning commute on a southbound E train turned violent when an unidentified rider punched a 65-year-old woman in the face as the train rolled toward the Lexington Avenue–63rd Street station, according to police. The assault happened around 9:08 a.m., and the attacker sprinted off the train before it reached the platform, leaving rattled commuters stuck in the aftermath.
NYPD Crime Stoppers Seeks Tips
In a social media post, NYPD Crime Stoppers said the woman was riding a southbound E train approaching Lexington Avenue–63rd Street at about 9:08 a.m. when the suspect suddenly punched her in the face, then bolted on foot. The suspect is still unidentified, and the post includes surveillance images investigators hope straphangers will recognize. Tips can be submitted anonymously. This account appears in a post from NYPD Crime Stoppers.
How to Submit Tips
According to the post, anyone with video, photos, or eyewitness information is urged to DM @NYPDTips or call 1-800-577-TIPS. The Crime Stoppers program offers several anonymous ways to share information and has historically provided cash rewards for tips that lead to arrests, according to the NYPD. Tips can also be submitted through the Crime Stoppers website or the department’s mobile app.
Nearby Incidents Add To Concern
The alert lands amid heightened anxiety around Lexington Avenue subway stops after other violent incidents earlier this month. On March 8, two riders were shoved onto the tracks at the same Lexington Avenue–63rd Street station, leaving one victim in critical condition, according to ABC7 New York. That case, along with similar reports, has put transit safety in Midtown under a microscope.
Local Precinct And Investigation
Police list the E train assault as occurring within the confines of the NYPD’s 17th Precinct and Transit District 4, which cover the east side of Midtown Manhattan. The precinct’s public page lays out contact information for community members and detectives, and investigators say the probe into the subway attack is still very much active. For precinct details see the NYPD 17th Precinct.
Anyone who was on that southbound E train, or who may have recorded the incident on a phone, is urged to preserve the footage and contact Crime Stoppers. The NYPD says the investigation is ongoing, and this story will be updated as authorities release more information.
