Man Convicted In 2020 Harlem Bus Stabbing Sentenced: DA

HARLEM, NY - A man convicted of attacking two people with a knife on an MTA bus in Harlem in 2020 “without any provocation” was sentenced Thursday to nearly a decade and a half in prison, authorities said.

Willie Gomez, 49, of The Bronx, was previously charged with attempted murder and related charges after stabbing two people aboard an M100 bus on Amsterdam Avenue near the intersection of West 129th Street about 2:40 p.m. on May 5, 2020, police said. Gomez stabbed a 58-year-old man in the head and face and a 44-year-old man in the thigh.

Both victims required dozens of stitches for their injuries, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. said. The first victim still has visible scars from the attack; the second has difficulty walking and used a cane for several months.

Gomez pleaded guilty in New York State Supreme Court to assault in September, Bragg said.

“Willie Gomez inflicted serious harm on the victims of his unprovoked attack. No New Yorker should fear for their safety while using public transportation, and today’s sentencing once again demonstrates that we will not accept violence against straphangers,” Bragg said in a statement.

“I know that the victims are still suffering from the impact of their injuries and hope that they can continue to recover and find some measure of peace in today’s sentencing.”