A suspect has been arrested after allegedly pushing two men onto the subway tracks inside a Manhattan station in what police described as a random attack.
Authorities arrested Bairon Hernandez Tuesday afternoon and charged him with attempted murder, attempted assault, assault and reckless endangerment in connection with the incident at the Lexington Avenue-63rd Street subway station on Sunday, according to police.
The NYPD said Sunday’s attack was random and unprovoked.
Investigators said a 30-year-old man was standing on the southbound F/Q platform at the Upper East Side station around 11:30 a.m. when a man approached him from behind. Police said that individual, believed to be Hernandez, pushed the 30-year-old, causing him to fall onto the subway tracks.
Police said Hernandez then walked up to 83-year-old Richard Williams on the platform and pushed him as well. The elderly man also fell onto the tracks and was later taken to a hospital with critical injuries.
Williams’ daughter said Tuesday that her father remained at Weill Cornell Hospital in critical condition and had not improved.
“The only reason I’m talking to anybody is because I just want the right thing to be done by this man. I want to draw attention,” Debbie Williams told NBC New York over the phone. “This is everybody’s father. This is everybody’s grandfather now.”
Williams’ daughter said her father had planned to go shopping Sunday, but he never made it there.
“My father is an awesome, giving man. He was enjoying his best life on Roosevelt Island. Going to the city independently at 83 years old, doing whatever he wanted to do,” Debbie said.
The younger victim, John Rodriguez, received treatment for less severe injuries. He spoke to NBC New York on Monday and described how terrified he felt and how grateful he was to still be alive.
Rodriguez shared a video he recorded while he was stuck on the tracks waiting for help — and praying that a train was not about to arrive at the station. He said he noticed blood on the other victim’s head and shouted for help.
Fortunately, no train struck either victim. Good Samaritans pulled both men back to safety on the platform before a train arrived.
As officers escorted the 34-year-old Hernandez out of a police station Tuesday, he said “no” and shook his head when asked if he had shoved the two victims. It was not immediately clear who was representing Hernandez as his attorney.
“There’s no words. How do you talk to the devil?” Debbie Williams said. “He’s the devil.”
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