MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) – The man accused of shoving a woman into a moving subway train in Manhattan and critically injuring her on Wednesday has been arrested, officials said.
The NYPD previously identified the suspect as 39-year-old Sabir Jones. He was taken into custody Thursday in Newark, New Jersey, according to Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé. Jones was then transferred to the U.S. Marshals Service, Fragé said.
The 30-year-old victim was standing on the downtown E train platform at the 53rd Street-Fifth Avenue subway station in Midtown when she was shoved unprovoked around noon, according to the NYPD. The woman hit her head on the moving train, police said.
The victim fell onto the tracks after hitting her head and was helped by good Samaritans, according to witnesses. The victim was hospitalized in critical condition and underwent surgery for her injuries.
“We developed a person of interest almost immediately based off video surveillance, and that person of interest turned into probable cause where he’s wanted,” NYPD Chief of Transit Michael Kemper said.
Jones also allegedly harmed somebody else in the same subway station, minutes before the shove, according to police. Law enforcement sources confirmed that a 26-year-old man reported that Jones randomly punched him in the face, breaking the man’s jaw.
Back in 2021, Newark police were searching for Jones after he had been reported missing. At the time, police said Jones had psychosis and was homeless.
There’s a regular police patrol in the subway station where Wednesday’s crimes took place, as per city policy. Additional officers were on hand there at various times on Thursday.
While the search was on for Jones, photos of the suspect were also posted in the station by police.
The NYPD reports that subway shoving incidents are down overall, from 22 last year at this time, to 15 this year so far. But that’s little comfort for commuters like Patty Meighoo.
“Numbers are numbers,” Meighoo said, while looking at Jones’ wanted poster inside the station. “But the fact that it could happen at any time to anyone,” she continued, “the numbers don’t say everything.”
