A dispute aboard a southbound B train approaching the 145th Street station turned violent on October 23 when an unidentified person slashed a 47-year-old rider in the forehead with a sharp object, then bolted off the train and out of the station on foot. More than two weeks later, police still haven't identified the attacker, and they're now turning to the public for help.
According to silive.com, the incident happened at about 9:20 a.m. that Friday morning as the train rolled toward the uptown Manhattan stop. The victim was engaged in a verbal dispute with the individual, who displayed an unknown sharp object and slashed him across the forehead before exiting the train and disappearing on foot. He was taken to New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition.
Police released images of the person sought for questioning this week and are asking anyone who recognizes the individual to come forward, the outlet reports. The NYPD Crime Stoppers tip line can be reached at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), and tips can also be submitted through the Crime Stoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or via the X account @NYPDTips. Spanish-speaking callers can dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). All calls to Crime Stoppers are kept strictly confidential.
A Wider Pattern of Transit Violence
The slashing lands amid a broader rise in transit assaults across the city this year. Cops investigated 435 assaults in the transit system through the end of August, compared to 397 reported over the same stretch in 2025, according to a report from nydailynews.com. Not every category moved in the same direction, though — police said random transit attacks actually fell 8% year over year, from 69 to 63, and unprovoked felony assaults dropped 4%, from 71 to 68.
Elderly riders made up 17% of transit assault victims through August, while police officers accounted for another 21%, officials said. NYPD Transit Chief Joseph Gulotta noted that officers, MTA workers, and elderly riders together made up almost half of felony assaults, saying, “When you put those three together, that's almost 50% of felony assaults.”
Other Recent Subway Slashings in the Area
The October 23 attack isn't the only recent slashing reported at a 145th Street station, but the two incidents took place at different stations on different subway lines. A separate incident was reported at about 8 p.m. on September 11 at the 145th Street station on the 2 line, where a suspect confronted a 21-year-old woman inside the station mezzanine, engaged her in a verbal dispute, and slashed her arm, according to amNY.
A separate incident in the Bronx also drew attention after a 24-year-old woman was slashed multiple times during a verbal dispute on a subway platform at the 167th Street station, per fox5ny.com. Police said two individuals pulled out an unknown sharp object and slashed the victim across the head, face, and hands in that attack.
A Separate Case Shows How Charges Can Escalate
In an unrelated subway stabbing case, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office announced an indictment against a defendant charged with attempted murder in the second degree, attempted assault in the first degree, and assault in the second degree, according to a release from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. That office noted the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty — a statement that applies only to that separate case, not to the still-unidentified individual sought in the 145th Street slashing.
