Man Sought After Anti-LGBTQ+ Attack On A Train: Police

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY – A 29-year-old man was yelled at and punched in the face by a stranger in an apparently unprovoked attack on the A train near Columbus Circle in August, police said.

On Friday, authorities released a photo of a man they are looking for in connection with the assault.

What Happened?

On August 17 at about 4:45 p.m., the victim was aboard a northbound A train near the 59th Street-Columbus Circle subway station, according to police.

As the train entered the station, the victim was approached by another man who yelled derogatory remarks at him before punching him in the face, police said.

After he struck the victim, the man fled on food, according to police.

Depicted above, police described the assailant as dark-complexioned with a slim build, wearing a purple bucket hat, sunglasses, a black tank top, black pants, and purple, black, and white sneakers.

The victim went to Columbia University Irving Medical Center, police said, for pain to the face and back.

No arrests have been made. The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). All calls are strictly confidential.

Hate Crimes Increasing

The NYPD recorded 669 hate crimes in New York City in 2023, a 12.6% increase from 2022, according to a recent report from New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s office.

Crimes are increasingly targeting people, rather than property, “with most attacks against Jewish, Black, and Gay Male New Yorkers.”