Man Stabbed, Thrown Onto Tracks In NYC Subway
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<p>A Brooklyn man stabbed, sliced in the ear and thrown onto subway tracks in a crazed caught-on-video fight with a stranger forgives his attacker, the victim told the Daily News Sunday.</p>
<p>Angel Trujillo, 52, escaped with his life but nearly lost his ear in the bloody melee inside the Broadway Junction station. He needed multiple stitches to close his wounds and was left with a scar running down his entire torso.</p>
<p>“I’m still going to take the subway,” Trujillo vowed Sunday, speaking to the Daily News in Spanish. “I have things to do. And I gotta do what I gotta do.”</p>
<p>On Sunday evening, police said they arrested Anthony Melendez, 35, of Brooklyn in the attack. He was charged with assault, reckless endangerment and illegal weapons possession.</p>
<p>Police said Melendez has three prior arrests including one on April 5 in Queens for criminal mischief in which he was accused of assaulting a police officer at 93rd St. and Sutter Ave., and one on Nov. 10, 2020, for assault after punching his father in the head.</p>
<p>Surveillance video released by the NYPD shows Trujillo walking along the platform about 9:45 p.m. Wednesday when he nearly steps on the assailant’s cellphone and earphones, which are lying on the floor.</p>
<p>" I wasn’t paying attention, I didn’t even see the phone until the guy started yelling at me,” Trujillo said of his attacker, who appeared to be homeless.</p>
<p>“I told him, ‘Why would you leave your phone on the floor of a train station? It’s the city, everyone is always bumping into everyone. Why would you leave your items there?’”</p>
<p>At one point during the testy exchange that followed, Trujillo tipped over the man’s cart of belongings.</p>
<p>The knife-wielding attacker followed Trujillo down the platform and they tussled, soon tumbling onto the tracks, the video shows.</p>
<p>“I never even got a chance to hit him,“ Trujillo said. “I was scared a train was going to come. I wasn’t scared to get electrocuted because we didn’t fall by (the third rail). But I was scared a train would hit us.”</p>
<p>Trujillo told The News he swung at the attacker and knocked over the cart to defend himself.</p>
<p>The assailant sliced Trujillo in the chest, ear, finger and head. Both men made it back onto the platform, with Trujillo seeking medical help about an hour and 15 minutes later, police said.</p>
<p>Trujillo was on his way to the Brooklyn home of his sister, who is diabetic, on dialysis and has a disabled son. He sometimes stays with her and helps her out.</p>
<p>“I’m not angry at the guy,” Trujillo said of his attacker. “I forgive him because I’m also homeless. And I know a lot of people living that life and it’s hard.”</p>
<p>“I have a family that can help me. But this guy was a kid, in his 30s,” he added. “I forgive him because he’s probably mentally ill.”</p>
<p>The attack is the latest in a surge of assaults in the transit system, where serious crime has spiked 63% this year.</p>
<p>“It’s crazy, so many things are happening on the train,” Trujillo said. “The cops show up after the incident happens — so I tried to deal with it myself, and I got stabbed.”</p>
<p>As of May 1, the transit system has seen 201 felony assaults this year, a 25 % jump from the 161 incidents by this time last year, according to NYPD stats.</p>
<p>Angel Trujillo, 52, escaped with his life but nearly lost his ear in the bloody melee inside the Broadway Junction station. He needed multiple stitches to close his wounds and was left with a scar running down his entire torso.</p>
<p>“I’m still going to take the subway,” Trujillo vowed Sunday, speaking to the Daily News in Spanish. “I have things to do. And I gotta do what I gotta do.”</p>
<p>On Sunday evening, police said they arrested Anthony Melendez, 35, of Brooklyn in the attack. He was charged with assault, reckless endangerment and illegal weapons possession.</p>
<p>Police said Melendez has three prior arrests including one on April 5 in Queens for criminal mischief in which he was accused of assaulting a police officer at 93rd St. and Sutter Ave., and one on Nov. 10, 2020, for assault after punching his father in the head.</p>
<p>Surveillance video released by the NYPD shows Trujillo walking along the platform about 9:45 p.m. Wednesday when he nearly steps on the assailant’s cellphone and earphones, which are lying on the floor.</p>
<p>" I wasn’t paying attention, I didn’t even see the phone until the guy started yelling at me,” Trujillo said of his attacker, who appeared to be homeless.</p>
<p>“I told him, ‘Why would you leave your phone on the floor of a train station? It’s the city, everyone is always bumping into everyone. Why would you leave your items there?’”</p>
<p>At one point during the testy exchange that followed, Trujillo tipped over the man’s cart of belongings.</p>
<p>The knife-wielding attacker followed Trujillo down the platform and they tussled, soon tumbling onto the tracks, the video shows.</p>
<p>“I never even got a chance to hit him,“ Trujillo said. “I was scared a train was going to come. I wasn’t scared to get electrocuted because we didn’t fall by (the third rail). But I was scared a train would hit us.”</p>
<p>Trujillo told The News he swung at the attacker and knocked over the cart to defend himself.</p>
<p>The assailant sliced Trujillo in the chest, ear, finger and head. Both men made it back onto the platform, with Trujillo seeking medical help about an hour and 15 minutes later, police said.</p>
<p>Trujillo was on his way to the Brooklyn home of his sister, who is diabetic, on dialysis and has a disabled son. He sometimes stays with her and helps her out.</p>
<p>“I’m not angry at the guy,” Trujillo said of his attacker. “I forgive him because I’m also homeless. And I know a lot of people living that life and it’s hard.”</p>
<p>“I have a family that can help me. But this guy was a kid, in his 30s,” he added. “I forgive him because he’s probably mentally ill.”</p>
<p>The attack is the latest in a surge of assaults in the transit system, where serious crime has spiked 63% this year.</p>
<p>“It’s crazy, so many things are happening on the train,” Trujillo said. “The cops show up after the incident happens — so I tried to deal with it myself, and I got stabbed.”</p>
<p>As of May 1, the transit system has seen 201 felony assaults this year, a 25 % jump from the 161 incidents by this time last year, according to NYPD stats.</p>
Categories: Fights, Brawls & Protests Crime & Lawlessness
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