A 59-year-old man was stabbed to death aboard a New York City subway train during the evening rush Wednesday, sparking panic among passengers and a dramatic pursuit that ended with the suspected attacker being captured.
The deadly violence unfolded around 5:30 p.m. aboard a J train near the Woodhaven Boulevard station in Queens.
Police have identified the victim as Mesias Lojano, 59, of Ozone Park.
According to investigators, Lojano was stabbed multiple times in the neck and chest while riding the train. Officers responding to the station found him unconscious and unresponsive.
He was rushed to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Police have since arrested 25-year-old Bronx resident Jyrell Thomas and charged him with murder and criminal possession of a weapon.
Investigators initially received conflicting information about what happened immediately before the stabbing. Early reports suggested some kind of argument may have taken place.
Police later said the attack appeared to have been unprovoked and that Thomas and Lojano had no known interaction before the stabbing.
Surveillance footage captured the frightening moments surrounding the attack.
Video showed commuters rushing down the stairs of the Woodhaven Boulevard station as the chaos unfolded. A man dressed in dark clothing could then be seen leaving the station and crossing the street.
Several people appeared to point toward the fleeing man before running after him.
Witness David Benenson told CBS New York that he and several others followed the suspected attacker through the neighborhood.
The man eventually climbed onto the roof of a nearby garage, according to Benenson. Witnesses surrounded the area until police arrived and took him into custody.
Benenson said officers arrived within roughly 10 minutes.
A knife was recovered as investigators processed the scene.
Crime scene tape, discarded clothing and other evidence could be seen around the station as detectives worked late Wednesday to determine exactly what happened.
The killing left subway riders shaken.
“It’s shocking to me,” rider Trayvon Leonard said. “I was not expecting to come off the train to a stabbing.”
Another commuter said the violence was especially unsettling because riding the train is part of an everyday routine for thousands of New Yorkers.
“It’s pretty crazy because, I mean, I ride this train every single day,” the rider said.
The attack also caused disruptions along the J and Z lines while police investigated the station and surrounding area.
Thomas reportedly has one previous arrest for petit larceny stemming from an incident in the Bronx in September. That unrelated case does not determine his guilt in the subway killing.
He now faces far more serious charges in Lojano’s death.
Investigators are expected to continue reviewing surveillance footage, witness accounts and evidence recovered from the train and station as prosecutors build the case.
The killing comes amid continued concern over violence in New York City’s subway system, where high-profile attacks can leave riders shaken even as officials track broader crime trends across the massive transit network.
For Lojano’s family, the investigation is now entering a new phase as the man accused of killing him moves through the criminal court system.
That city is so disgusting I don’t understand how people live there. They continue to elect idiots into government, don’t feel sorry for any of them.
The usual sick suspect. Bring back the death penalty. Why should the tax payers have to pay to feed & cloth this sicko for life.
The new pigsty will be this city