The Friday morning commute turned ugly in Midtown when a 32-year-old man was punched and robbed on a southbound R train as it rolled toward the 57 Street 6 Avenue station, police said. The victim was hit multiple times in the face and had his wallet and cellphone taken. Witnesses and responding officers said the attacker flashed what appeared to be a boxcutter before bolting from the scene on foot.
🚨 WANTED FOR ROBBERY: On Friday, July 17, 2026, at approximately 5:55 A.M., a 32-year-old male was on a southbound R train approaching the 57 Street-7 Avenue Station, in the confines of the Midtown North Precinct/Transit District 1. An unidentified individual approached, punched… pic.twitter.com/AkEK7ATD76
— NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) July 18, 2026
Wanted alert and case details
NYPD Crime Stoppers posted a "WANTED FOR ROBBERY" alert on X that pegs the incident at about 5:55 A.M. on Friday, July 17, 2026, aboard a southbound R train nearing the 57 Street 6 Avenue station. The bulletin says the unidentified suspect punched the 32-year-old victim several times, displayed a boxcutter and then stole the victim's wallet and cellphone, according to NYPD Crime Stoppers.
Where the case is being handled and rewards
The robbery is being handled in the Midtown North Precinct/Transit District 1, the NYPD command that covers this stretch of Midtown Manhattan, per the Midtown North Precinct. Police and Crime Stoppers are asking anyone with video or information to call the confidential hotline at 1 600577 5TIPS or submit tips online. Tipsters whose information leads to an arrest may be eligible for a reward of up to $3,500, according to reporting by QNS.
What riders can do
Authorities said there were no arrests at the time the wanted alert went up, and investigators are reviewing surveillance and cellphone video in an effort to identify the suspect, per NYPD Crime Stoppers. Riders who were on that southbound R train around 5:55 A.M., or who captured video near the 57 Street 6 Avenue station, are urged to save that footage and share it with investigators rather than confronting anyone themselves. Tips can also be submitted through the Crime Stoppers portal.
