Transit police in Queens are searching for the subway stabbing suspect who attacked a man during an argument last month.
The NYPD released on Tuesday night images of the assailant sought for the violent stabbing at the Steinway Street station on the R line in Astoria at about 11:45 p.m. on Jan. 31.
Law enforcement sources said the perpetrator became engaged in a verbal dispute with the victim, a 28-year-old man, while they stood on the Forest Hills-bound platform.
The beef turned bloody, cops said, when the suspect pulled out a sharp, cutting instrument and stabbed the man multiple times about the torso and leg. Following the heinous assault, the perpetrator fled the station to parts unknown.
Officers from the 114th Precinct and NYPD Transit District 20 responded to the incident. EMS rushed the victim to Elmhurst Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.
The stabbing was one of 147 transit crimes that occurred citywide in January 2025, according to crime statistics that the NYPD released on Tuesday.
The department said that number represented a 36.4% decrease from the 231 transit crimes reported in January 2024. On average, January 2025 saw less than five crimes in the subway system each day, down from an average of seven daily crimes the previous January.
Hundreds of additional police officers have been surged into the subway system over the past year. Late in January, the NYPD — with funding help from Gov. Kathy Hochul — added two officers to every subway train operating during overnight hours to further enhance security.
As for the Jan. 31 stabbing, the suspect was shown on subway security camera images with long brown hair and a beard. He was seen wearing a beige coat over a gray sweater and dark-colored pants while carrying an umbrella.
Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
