MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) — A panhandler allegedly stabbed a 76-year-old man near a Manhattan subway station Sunday night, police said.
The stabbing happened outside the Herald Square station at around 11:30 p.m., according to the NYPD.
The victim was walking down a flight of stairs to the Herald Square station when the panhandler approached him and asked him for money, according to police. After the victim refused, the panhandler allegedly stabbed the victim in his torso, police said.
The victim ran down to the subway station for help after he was stabbed, sources said. He was taken to a hospital for treatment.
The panhandler ran away from the scene after the stabbing and hasn’t been arrested, police said. Police have surveillance video of the suspect, sources said.
NYPD statistics show that murders, rape, robberies, and burglaries are down in Midtown South this year compared to last year. However, assaults are up about 15% so far this year.
Jack Nierenberg, the vice president of Passengers United, said he’s not surprised that assaults are up in the area. Even with overall subway crime being down, he believes the system is still unsafe.
“He could die as a result of this unprovoked attacked, and we’ve been pleading with the MTA to get ahold of the safety in the subway system. The subways, as we have been saying, are in a state of emergency.”
Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
