Straphanger Punched By Man With White Umbrella In Queens Subway: Cops

QUEENS, NY — A stranger clutching a white umbrella accosted, then punched a straphanger in the mouth inside a Queens subway station, police said.

The random attack April 12 left a 37-year-old man with an injured mouth and prompted an ongoing search for the umbrella-holding suspect, who ran away, authorities said.

The confrontation unfolded about 3:25 a.m. as the man stood on the F train platform in Jamaica's 169th Street station, NYPD officials said.

Another man on the platform — the stranger with the white umbrella — began an argument with the straphanger before he punched him twice in the face, police said.

People with information are asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). They can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, on Twitter @NYPDTips.