Quantcast

Man murdered on Queens subway platform may have been homeless: sources

IND_Queens_Boulevard_Grand_Avenue-Newton_Northbound_Platform
The Grand Avenue-Newtown subway station in Elmhurst, Queens.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons/General Punger

Police are looking for the culprit who stabbed a man to death on a subway platform in Queens early Friday morning. 

The incident happened at about 5:42 a.m. on April 23 on the Manhattan-bound side of the Grand Avenue-Newtown station, along the M and R local lines in Elmhurst.

Officers from the NYPD Transit District 20, after being alerted to the incident, found the victim unconscious and unresponsive with a stab wound to his chest. 

Police do not yet know the man’s identity, but sources familiar with the investigation stated that he appeared to be homeless, and between 40 and 50 years of age.

EMS units rushed the man to Elmhurst Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

No arrests have been made, thus far, in the ongoing investigation, law enforcement sources said.

The murder led to morning rush hour disruptions along the M and R lines on Friday. As of 11:30 a.m., MTA New York City Transit reported, Manhattan-bound M and R trains were skipping stops at the Grand Avenue station due to ongoing police activity.

The homicide may only further complicate the feeling of insecurity among subway riders. Though NYPD officials reported a drop in subway crime at the MTA board’s April 21 meeting, some board members relayed concerns from riders that they still did not feel safe.