A 65-year-old man was punched in the face while entering the turnstiles at the Sutphin Blvd-Archer Avenue subway station in Jamaica, Queens, leaving fellow riders rattled. The attacker took off on foot after the blow, and the victim was taken to a nearby hospital, where officials said he was in stable condition. Transit detectives have opened an investigation and are canvassing the area for witnesses and video.
According to the New York Post, the NYPD says the assault happened on July 9 as the man was entering the station's turnstiles. Police released surveillance stills showing a suspect in a white T-shirt, a green baseball cap and a dark backpack, and said the assailant ran off on foot. Detectives have asked anyone with video or information to contact authorities as they work to identify the person shown in the images.
Police images and the search for a suspect
Investigators pulled still frames from station cameras and circulated them to help track the attacker's movements through the Jamaica transit hub. Commuters who have phone video of the platform or nearby sidewalks have been urged to preserve and share footage with detectives. The NYPD Transit Bureau says canvasses of the surrounding blocks and reviews of nearby business cameras are ongoing.
Pattern of unprovoked attacks worries riders
The episode comes amid several recent, random assaults on subway riders that have raised concern among commuters and neighborhood groups. As a 65-year-old man was punched while boarding a 2 train reported in May, a 65-year-old man was punched while boarding a 2 train in the Bronx, a reminder that older riders have been targeted in separate incidents this spring. Local leaders have renewed calls for visible patrols and faster evidence-sharing between the MTA and law enforcement.
How to help detectives
If you saw the attack or have footage, police asked that you call NYPD Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA, according to the New York Post. Tips can also be submitted anonymously online or through the NYPD's tip channels, and detectives said timestamped video, even short clips, can be crucial to identifying the suspect. Anyone with information is urged to contact detectives so they can follow up on leads as the search continues.
