Search On For Suspect After Man On Way Home From Comic Con Is Slashed On Subway In Queens
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A young man heading home after a day at Comic Con was slashed in the face on the subway in Queens this past weekend, and police were searching for the suspect late Monday.
As CBS2's Alice Gainer reported, the victim, named Anthony, was not the only person slashed that night.
Anthony, 21, said he felt lucky to be alive.
"It was gushing," he said. "As you can see, the slash is all the way up here; all the way down to my lip."
Anthony, who did not want to give his last name, was coming home around 1:30 a.m. Sunday when he was slashed on a Manhattan-bound A Train at the Beach 60th Street station in Arverne.
Police said the suspect approached Anthony as was seated on the train and slashed him across the left side of the face with a sharp object.
Hours prior, Anthony had been at Comic Con.
"Had an awesome time at Comic Con," he said, before stopping and adding: "Sorry, it hurts. I'm in a lot of pain."
Anthony showed CBS2 the now blood-stained clothing he was wearing. He said it was just him and three other men on the train car at the time of the attack, and he noticed one of the men pacing back and forth beforehand.
"I'm sitting down -- just literally sitting down on my phone -- and it's like I look up to you, and he just (attacks)," Anthony said.
He said no words were exchanged and the attack was unprovoked.
"He laughed. I said: 'Yo! You just slashed me in the face,' He smirked at me and said, 'Yeah,'" Anthony said. "You could see there was evil in his eyes. The other two just laughed."
The suspect got off the train after the attack, and police have released surveillance images.
Anthony said he told the train operator while the man and the two others with him took off.
Anthony suspects he was slashed with a blade and estimates that he now has upwards of 20 stitches.
Police sources said the same suspect is wanted in another slashing.
Sources said about 10 minutes prior to the attack on Anthony, a 19-year-old man was slashed in the face at the corner of Beach 22nd Street and Mott Avenue as he walked into a subway station past three men.
Subway riders said they have changed their commuting habits to make sure they are alert.
"Headphones -- you just look out for people; don't talk to anybody you don't know," one rider said.
"There should be more police officers on the train. You don't see them around here," added subway rider Angel Luciano. "Keep my phone in my pocket; don't sleep on the train."
As for Anthony, he said, "I'm afraid, honestly, to catch a train. It's traumatizing."
He said he may stick to cabs from now on.
Police describe the suspect as a black man between the ages of 26 and 28, 5'8" tall and 140 pounds. They say he was last seen wearing a red, white and blue jacket, jeans and white sneakers.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782), visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or text tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
