Thursday, October 19, 2023 9:27AM
MIDTOWN (WABC) — The NYPD has released information about the suspect who they believe pushed a woman into a moving subway train in Midtown.
Police say surveillance cameras all over the 5th Avenue and 53rd Street station captured Sabir Jones walking out of the station after allegedly pushing that woman.
The 30-year-old victim was on the southbound E train platform at around noon Wednesday, when she was pushed as a train was going by. She hit her head on the back of the train and then fell onto the tracks, authorities said.
Bystanders on the platform helped pull her off the tracks and back onto the platform as the suspect ran off. She underwent emergency surgery and is now in critical condition with head injuries.
Authorities believe the attack was random and the victim was either on her way to or from work at the time of the assault.
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City leaders say progress is being made, but more needs to be done to help people with mental illness get off the streets.
“Listen, in the past year we have made tremendous progress on subway crime. Crime is nine percent down where it was the past year before COVID. But, that’s no consolation to the family of this young woman,” MTA CEO and Chair Janno Lieber said.
The NYPD says there have been 15 incidents of people being pushed onto the subway tracks so far this year compared to 22 by this time last year.
Another person came forward after seeing the surveillance video. He said he was punched by Jones just moments before the woman was pushed.
Police say Jones was reported missing by his family in Newark back in 2021 and is currently homeless.
Authorities say he has refused help from mental health outreach workers.
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