A Big Apple straphanger was beaten, stabbed and robbed by a rowdy group of strangers during a beef at a Bronx subway station on Christmas Eve, cops said Monday.
The 44-year-old victim was on the mezzanine level of the Moshulu Parkway station around 5:30 p.m. Sunday when he inadvertently bumped into a woman who was with the group, sparking a dispute that turned violent, according to police.
Five people pummeled the man and stabbed him “multiple times” before making off with his phone, cops said.
The victim was rushed to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition, police said.
The NYPD released a surveillance photo of the perpetrators, who were described as being between 20 and 25 years old.
According to the New York Daily News, the attack was sparked by the straphanger bumping his backpack into the woman.
The NYPD is urging anyone with information about the suspects to call the Crime Stoppers tipline at 800-577-TIPS or online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org.
Subway crime in the five boroughs has dipped this year amid a $150 million jump police overtime for transit system patrols — but some New Yorkers say they’re still afraid of riding the tubes.
So far this year, 2,194 felony crimes have been reported in the transit system – about a 2% decline from the 2,245 reported at this point in 2022, the latest NYPD data shows.
Murders were down from 10 to five, rapes declined from 11 to four, robberies dropped from 582 to 521 and grand larcenies have stayed even at 1,096, according to the statistics, updated on Sunday, Dec. 17.