A 31-year-old man riding a northbound 4 train through the Bronx early Sunday was surrounded by four people who argued with him and punched and kicked him. During the attack, one suspect sprayed him with mace while another stole his fanny pack before the group bolted from the train at the elevated 167th Street station, police said. The confrontation happened around 6 a.m. and left the victim needing treatment, though he is expected to recover.
According to News 12 New York, the four suspects approached the man and began arguing with him before the dispute escalated into a physical attack. Police said one of the attackers made off with the victim's fanny pack while another used mace on him during the struggle. The group then exited the train at 167th Street and ran, according to police.
Transit District 11 officers brought the victim to BronxCare Health System for treatment, the outlet reported.
A Transit Hub With a Troubled Recent History
The 167th Street station sits on the elevated IRT Jerome Avenue Line at River Avenue, spanning the Concourse and Highbridge neighborhoods, and has operated continuously since it opened in June 1917, per Wikipedia. NYPD Transit District 11’s headquarters is three stops south, inside the 161st Street–Yankee Stadium complex, according to city records reviewed in a prior Hoodline report on a 176th Street robbery.
This is not the first time violence has erupted at or near the 167th Street platform. In July 2025, a man was stabbed on a subway train at 167th Street, according to News 12.
Charges Suspects Could Face
Under New York State Penal Law, physical assaults carried out with the help of two or more accomplices who are actually present can be charged as Gang Assault, according to New York Penal Law. News 12 reported that police were searching for four people in connection with Sunday's attack.
Crime Down Overall, But Transit Violence Persists
The robbery lands amid a wider split in New York City's crime picture. Major crime in the Bronx was down 11.9% year to date compared with a year earlier. Yet felony assaults inside the subway system and citywide hate crimes were rising.
A Pattern Along the Jerome Avenue Line
Sunday's robbery adds to a string of recent violent incidents along the 4 train corridor. Hoodline previously reported on a knife-wielding robber who swiped a rider's phone at 176th Street in August. A man was also clubbed with a wooden stick on a Bronx subway mezzanine that same month.
Police are asking anyone with information about Sunday's robbery to call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.
