Nile Taylor, a 49-year-old ex-convict with a history of gun and forgery charges, was arraigned in Manhattan court for allegedly setting a subway passenger on fire with a flaming can of alcohol. The judge set his bail at $250,000, citing the strong evidence and Taylor's criminal history. Taylor faces multiple charges, including assault and menacing, and is due back in court on May 31.
Petrit Alijaj, 23, suffered burns on 30% of his body after shielding his fiancée from a man who threw flaming liquid on a NYC subway. Alijaj, originally from Albania, is recovering in the hospital while the assailant, Nile Taylor, was arrested nearby. This incident marks the second flaming liquid attack on a subway passenger in four months.
A 64-year-old man was kicked to the subway tracks in a random attack at the 34 St.-Penn Station stop in Manhattan. The victim suffered pain to his knee and back and was taken to Lenox Hill Hospital for treatment. The assailant, dressed in all black, fled the scene, and there have been no immediate arrests.
A 30-year-old woman is in critical condition after being randomly pushed into a moving subway train in Manhattan by a man described as emotionally disturbed. The incident occurred at the 53rd Street and Fifth Avenue station, and witnesses reported that the man was talking to himself before the attack. The victim fell onto the subway tracks but was helped back onto the platform by "good Samaritans." The police are seeking the suspect, identified as Sabir Jones, 39, who is known to the department. This incident highlights concerns over subway safety and follows previous high-profile attacks in the city's transit system.
A 16-year-old girl has been arrested by the NYPD after allegedly assaulting an Asian American woman and harassing her family on a subway in New York City. The incident, which was captured on video and went viral, is being investigated as a hate crime. The victim, Sue Young, hopes for a mediated discussion with the suspect and wants to decrease racial tension between the Black and Asian communities. The bystander who filmed the incident, Joanna Lin, hopes for an apology from the teen and emphasizes the need to prevent future incidents of bullying. The investigation is ongoing, and Young emphasizes the importance of holding everyone accountable, not just law enforcement.
A 16-year-old girl has been arrested for assaulting a family of tourists on the New York City subway. The incident, which was captured on video and went viral, showed the teen attacking a 51-year-old woman and hurling racial epithets at the family. The teen turned herself in to the NYPD and has been charged with two counts of assault. The police are still investigating the involvement of two other girls in the attack. The victim does not believe her family was targeted due to their race and calls for accountability for all involved.
Emine Ozsoy, a graphic designer from Istanbul, was paralyzed from the neck down after being attacked by Kamal Semrade, an unhinged man who slammed her head against a moving train in a vicious, unprovoked attack as she made her way to work Sunday morning. Semrade was arrested and is facing attempted murder and assault charges. Ozsoy's husband is scrambling to get visas so relatives can visit and help in her recovery. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help pay for medical expenses.
Chris Anguisaca, a Manhattan man who was left blind in one eye after being attacked on a subway train, is suing the city, the Transit Authority, and the Metropolitan Transit Authority for failing to keep the subways safe. He alleges that they have failed to maintain adequate security cameras and have not trained officers in the system. Anguisaca also claims that the MTA and Transit Authority have failed to control mentally ill and/or homeless individuals from being a threat to passengers. This is the latest lawsuit to accuse subway authorities of failing to keep the trains safe.
Three teen suspects have been identified and one is in custody after a 15-year-old boy with autism was attacked on a subway train last week. The attack happened during the rush hour commute, and the victim was ultimately surrounded and pummeled in the face multiple times. The NYPD Hate Crimes is now looking into the attack because of anti-Black slurs that were being tossed around.
