Transgender Black Man Stabbed in Subway Hate Crime: Police and Reports

EAST HARLEM, NEW YORK — A black man was slashed several times in the face and stabbed in the arm on Christmas night by a woman to whom he offered his seat on the subway, police confirmed to Patch.

Witnesses and police sources told the New York Post, which first reported the incident, that the victim was a transgender man, but the NYPD would not confirm that to Patch.

The 44-year-old victim offered his seat to 30-year-old Stephanie Pazmino, whose cousin he was sitting next to, so she could sit next to her, the NYPD said.

Pazmino replied, "I don't want your seat." Then she said to her cousin in Spanish, "I don't want to sit next to a black person," cops said.

A verbal dispute erupted between Pazmino and the man, and the victim got up and sat in the row across from the two women. Police said they didn't have a record of what was said in the verbal dispute.

When the train arrived at 125th Street station at around 11:20 p.m., Pazmino approached the victim and slashed him several times in the left side of his face with a 2-inch knife and stabbed him in his left arm, according to the NYPD.

A witness on the subway took the victim off the train and onto the platform, where police then arrived and arrested Pazmino, witnesses told the New York Post.

Pazmino was charged with assault as a hate crime, reckless endangerment, and criminal possession of a weapon, police said.

Paramedics rushed the conscious and alert victim to Harlem Hospital, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, the NYPD and FDNY confirmed.

This is a developing story, refresh the page for updates.

Photo credit: Patch