A Queens subway platform turned into a crime scene Thursday afternoon when a 14-year-old boy was slashed in the face at the Parsons Boulevard station in Jamaica, according to the NYPD. The assault happened at about 4:50 p.m., and EMS rushed the teen to a nearby hospital, where police said he was in stable condition. Transit detectives began canvassing the station and combing through surveillance footage as they searched for the attacker.
Police released a photo of the person they say is responsible and urged witnesses to speak up, according to PIX11. Investigators asked riders who may have recorded the incident on their phones to preserve any video and contact transit detectives.
The Parsons Boulevard stop sits at Parsons Boulevard and Hillside Avenue in Jamaica. It is an express station on the Queens Boulevard Line, served primarily by F trains, according to Wikipedia. Detectives said they were canvassing the mezzanine and station entrances for more video and additional witnesses.
Police Release Suspect Photo
Surveillance stills circulated by police show a man investigators are looking to identify, and no arrests had been made as of Thursday, PIX11 reported. Officers again appealed to anyone who filmed the encounter to hold onto the footage and reach out to Crime Stoppers or the Transit District assigned to the case.
A Pattern of Subway Slashings
The stabbing comes amid a string of recent subway slashings in Queens and elsewhere. In a separate April 6 incident, a 15-year-old was injured on a northbound A train at Broad Channel, as detailed in A train turns bloody. Riders and transit advocates have pushed for saving video in these cases, noting that passenger recordings and station cameras have helped detectives identify suspects in similar attacks.
Legal Note
If an arrest is made, prosecutors could pursue assault charges under New York Penal Law Article 120 and weapons possession charges under Article 265. The statutes detailing potential charges and penalties can be found on Justia and Justia.
Anyone with information is asked to call NYPD Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), submit a tip online, or message @NYPDTips on X. Tips can be submitted anonymously and may be eligible for a reward, and investigators have specifically requested that anyone with video of the incident preserve it for detectives.
