Overview
- The assault happened around 8:45 a.m. at the 53rd Street/4th Avenue R train station, where a 51-year-old was shoved onto the tracks and a 43-year-old was punched.
- The woman who fell onto the tracks climbed back to the platform before any train arrived, and EMS took both victims to NYU Langone Hospital–Brooklyn with minor injuries.
- Police apprehended a 25-year-old suspect a few blocks away at the 2nd Ave. Men’s Shelter, and he was taken into custody for questioning.
- Authorities described the episode as an apparent random attack, and charges had not been immediately filed.
- The case echoes recent platform assaults reported in January and comes as NYPD data show early‑2026 increases in transit crime, including a 17% rise in major offenses.