The ever-increasing number of assaults in the New York City subway system has left riders fearing for their safety. These are crimes of opportunity sometimes committed by the homeless. These cases represent just a fraction of the violence occurring in the subways. 

Here are a few of the cases reported in the New York Post that took place in a two-week period. They serve as a grim reminder that those dependent on this vital transportation network have valid reasons to be afraid.

 And these incidents were all happening while Daniel Penny was being indicted for trying to restrain a homeless man who he accidentally killed with a chokehold. 

Southbound E Train Queens Plaza Assaults: 

On May 24, a woman experienced a terrifying assault on a southbound E train near Queens Plaza. 

The assailant demanded that she divert her gaze before launching a series of brutal punches to her head. As the train reached the station, the attacker fled the scene.

 Police have released surveillance photos of the suspect, described as a man in his 30s, approximately 6 feet tall, weighing around 150 pounds, with a dark complexion and thin build. He was last seen wearing a black and white hooded jacket and light blue jeans with holes in the knees.

 The victim, a 52-year-old woman, sought help at the Court Square station and received medical attention at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center for non-life-threatening head injuries.

The incident at Queens Plaza follows a similar assault at the same location a few days prior. 

On May 19, a 69-year-old woman riding a Manhattan-bound E train was punched without provocation. The police are still searching for the suspect and are unsure if there may be multiple perpetrators.

New York Subway -Manhattan Station Assault:

 In a shocking incident at the West 4 Street station in Greenwich Village, two women attacked and robbed a man and woman in their 60s inside an elevator. 

The assailants relentlessly punched the victims, leaving them injured, and stole the man's cell phone when he attempted to photograph them. 

Surveillance footage captured the suspects, one wearing bright red pants and a dark T-shirt, while the other wore a bright red shirt and dark pants.

One of the assailants was seen pushing a blue shopping cart after the assault. The victims received medical treatment at Lenox Health Greenwich Village, while the attackers escaped on a southbound F train.

Southbound J Train at Chambers Street Assault: 

A 29-year-old woman narrowly escaped a sexual assault on the New York City subway when an unhinged stranger exposed himself to her on the southbound J train at Chambers Street station.

 The assailant proceeded to punch her, attempt to remove her clothing, and tried to force her to perform oral sex.

 He also stole her cellphone, money, and keys.

 The victim managed to escape and seek help while the attacker remained on the train heading southbound. 

EMS provided medical assistance, and the victim was taken to the hospital for treatment. The suspect, described as a dark-skinned male aged between 30 and 40, is still being pursued by the police. He was last seen wearing a navy blue hooded sweatshirt and pants, black and white sneakers, and a white face mask, carrying a greenish-gray backpack.

USA Herald, New York subway, subway assaults, crime rate, subway violence, subway commuters, safety concerns