Feb. 5, 2025 By Rob Pozarycki
Transit police in Queens are searching for the suspect involved in a violent subway stabbing during an argument on Friday, Jan. 31.
The NYPD released images on Tuesday night of the assailant, who is sought in connection with the attack at the Steinway Street station on the R line in Astoria, which occurred around 11:45 p.m.
According to law enforcement sources, the suspect and the victim, a 28-year-old man, became involved in a verbal dispute while on the Forest Hills-bound platform. The argument escalated when the suspect pulled out a sharp instrument and stabbed the victim multiple times in the torso and leg.
Following the attack, the suspect fled the scene. Officers from the 114th Precinct and NYPD Transit District 20 responded to the incident. The victim was transported to Elmhurst Hospital by EMS, where he was later listed in stable condition.
The stabbing was one of 147 transit crimes that occurred citywide in January 2025, according to crime statistics that the NYPD released on Tuesday.
The department said that number represented a 36.4% decrease from the 231 transit crimes reported in January 2024. On average, January 2025 saw less than five crimes in the subway system each day, down from an average of seven daily crimes the previous January.
Hundreds of additional police officers have been surged into the subway system over the past year. Late in January, the NYPD — with funding help from Gov. Kathy Hochul — added two officers to every subway train operating during overnight hours to further enhance security.
As for the Jan. 31 stabbing, the suspect was shown on subway security camera images with long brown hair and a beard. He was seen wearing a beige coat over a gray sweater and dark-colored pants while carrying an umbrella.
Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.