A stranger punched and slashed a 39-year-old man in what appeared to be an unprovoked attack on board a Brooklyn train early Monday, cops and sources said.
The victim was riding a Manhattan-bound D train passing through DeKalb Avenue around 2:45 a.m. when the menace punched and slashed him across the chest, cops said.
The brute tried to speak to the straphanger before the attack, but the victim did not understand his ramblings, sources said.
The menace fled the train immediately after the senseless attack, while the victim got off at the next station, Grand Street in Manhattan, where he called 911, according to the sources.
The victim was taken to Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.
The suspect had not been caught by Tuesday morning.
The attack happened the night before the NYPD launched its first first surge of additional cops onto overnight subway trains.
When the six-month effort reaches its full strength, two officers will patrol each of the city’s roughly 150 overnight trains – running from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m., Gov. Kathy Hochul has said.
The first rollout from Monday night into early Tuesday brought 100 officers to the A, G, J and L lines, the NYPD’s Chief of Transit, Joseph M. Gulotta, told reporters.
Felony crime on the rails overall plunged about 36% so far this year through Sunday, compared to the first few weeks of 2024, according to the latest NYPD data.
Felony assaults, specifically, were down from 40 to 27 for that same time frame, the data shows.
Misdemeanor assaults were up from 68 to 106, according to the statistics.