Subway Shover Gets Prison Time For Pushing Girlfriend In Front Of Train, DA Says

BROOKLYN, NY — The man who pushed his girlfriend onto a subway track after a domestic dispute last year has been sentenced to more than a decade in prison, authorities said.

Christian Valdez, 36, of Brooklyn, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted murder and was sentenced Tuesday to 18 years in prison for shoving his 29-year-old girlfriend in front of an oncoming train at the Fulton Street station in March 2024.

“Christian Valdez will serve nearly two decades in prison following his conviction for committing a life-threatening act of domestic violence in our transit system,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said. “As a result of this extremely serious attack, the victim has permanent physical injuries, and experiences emotional trauma.”

Prosecutors said Valdez and his girlfriend were arguing on the platform of the 2 and 3 train lines at the Fulton Street Station on March 9, 2024. As a downtown train approached, Valdez threw her toward the tracks.

Several eyewitnesses called 911 to report the incident. When authorities arrived at the scene at 10:26 a.m., they found the woman conscious and responsive, but trapped beneath the train. She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors amputated both of her legs. She also suffered fractured ribs and a blood clot in her lungs, prosecutors said.

Police said that after the attack, Valdez fled the station and traveled to New Jersey. He was arrested a few hours later upon returning to the city, still wearing the same clothes from the incident.

According to reports, Valdez was also sentenced to five years of post-release supervision and issued a full order of protection for the victim.

"I hope the resolution of this case offers her some sense of justice," Bragg added.