Video shows good Samaritans holding subway stabbing suspect down

By Zinnia Maldonado, Jesse Zanger

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    NEW YORK (WCBS/WLNY) — A woman is recovering after she was stabbed repeatedly at a Queens subway station.

It happened at the Jamaica-Van Wyck subway station around 8:30 p.m. Sunday.

The attack came after a man asked 23-year-old Eileen Li for money, police said. An argument started, during which he stabbed her, according to police.

Good Samaritans intervened and held suspect Randol Contreras, 24, until police arrived. Contreras has been charged with attempted murder, menacing, assault, attempted robbery and criminal possession of a weapon.

Sources tell CBS News New York he has no prior record.

Video shows subway riders holding suspect

Video shows subway riders holding the suspect down inside the station in Kew Gardens.

Alexander Robles and Josnan Palacios were both at the station when they say they heard a woman screaming and jumped into action. They spoke to CBS New York in Spanish.

“We did what we could,” Robles said.

“Seeing such an attack, I just couldn’t stay still as he stabbed the woman,” Palacios said.

Robles, who recently arrived to New York City from Venezuela, said he is wishing Li a speedy recovery after the traumatic attack.

“I don’t think I’m a hero. I’m genuinely concerned for her, and her health,” Robles said. “I just want to tell her that thankfully she is recovering, and hopefully there are more people out there that would do good deeds.”

Riders say they’re not surprised by incident

“That’s a little scary, because 8:30 isn’t even that late,” Kew Gardens resident Sabrina Garcia said.

“I’ve had situations where I’ve had people following me home,” straphanger Sharnali Zaman said.

“It’s vigilante justice. I hate to say that. I’m so proud of those passengers that held that individual down,” said Charlton Dsouzza.

Crime in transit system declining, officials say

Officials have recently touted an overall reduction of crime in the subway system, saying it is down nearly 8% overall this year compared to the first six months of 2023, and is 11% lower overall than subway crime in 2019, before the COVID pandemic.

“We’ve had five straight months of double-digit decreases in overall subway crime after we surged more than 1,000 additional officers into the system in February, and, so far, in July, we’re on track for a sixth month of safer subways,” Adams said in a statement last week. “Today, other than during the pandemic, our transit system is the safest it’s been in 14 years, with the lowest number of robberies in recorded history.”

Pilot program scans subway passengers for weapons

The incident comes as New York City started scanning subway riders for weapons at select stations as part of a 30-day pilot program. If it is successful, the systems will be deployed at major subway stations citywide.

The electromagnetic detection systems are theoretically capable of detecting guns as well as weapons like razors.

“This is to add on to and leverage technology to prevent shooters in our subways, and this is about preventing mass casualty incidents,” Mayor Eric Adams said when the program was deployed Friday.

Transit officials are staying mum on exactly where the scanners are being installed for safety reasons.

“Eventually, every turnstile is going to be able to identify if someone is carrying a gun”

“I think this is going to become a norm for us. I think the turnstiles are going to change. Eventually, every turnstile is going to be able to identify if someone is carrying a gun,” Adams said earlier this month. “I think it’s a game-changer for the transportation system across the globe.”

The Legal Aid Society has taken issue with the scanners.

“These scanners will create significant inconvenience, adding congestion and delays to an already overburdened system,” the group said in a statement. “Even worse, they are an unjustified invasion of privacy, and put people’s lives at risk from the panic that an inevitable false alarm would induce.”

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