Brooklyn Subway Slasher Turns Himself Over to Police

Pictured: Slashing suspect Ras Alula Nagarit. Photos courtesy of the NYPD

CROWN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — A Manhattan resident wanted for threatening and slashing a fellow passenger on the southbound 3 Train in Brooklyn has turned himself over to 77th Precinct detectives, according to the NYPD.

Earlier this week, around 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, East Harlem resident Ras Alula Nagarit, 37, allegedly told Natalie Lewis, 29, as their train traveled between Atlantic Avenue station and the Eastern Parkway station in Crown Heights: “I will chop you up on this train.”

Police said they were informed by the victim that Nagarit had lashed out her with a object wrapped in cloth, causing a laceration to her right hand.

According to the New York Post’s police sources, that cloth was concealing a 2-foot blade. They said Nagarit taunted Lewis with threats like:

“I’ll find your ass at home! ... The police aren’t here now. You’re trying to get help from the crowd. They can’t help you! I can just chop you and they can’t do nothing!”

Before fleeing the train, Lewis managed to snap some photos of her attacker. (Included above.)

Nagarit turned himself in Thursday at the 77th Precinct building amid a storm of media attention, police said. He has since been charged with the following:

• 2nd degree assault/intent to cause physical injury with a weapon

• 2nd degree attempted assault

• 4th degree criminal possession of a weapon
  

• 3rd degree menacing

Tuesday’s attack on the 3 Train was one of three NYC subway slashings recorded within just two days; the others were in the East Village and East Harlem.

The Post cited police figures showing stabbings and slashings in the city are up almost 15 percent this year, compared to the same period in 2015.

“We have from time to time a spike, as these three slashing incidents have been identified,” NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton told reporters this week. “And then we push down on them and things return to a more normal rate.”