Police arrested on Wednesday the suspect who allegedly stabbed a man to death inside the City Hall subway station last week in a vicious argument sparked by stepped-on shoes.
Luis Jose-Duarte, 48, of the Bronx, turned himself in on April 30 at the 5th Precinct stationhouse in Lower Manhattan. The suspect brought his lawyer with him.
Hours later, detectives escorted Jose-Duarte out of the 5th Precinct for transfer to central booking after being charged with first-degree manslaughter. He kept silent as reporters at the stationhouse quizzed him regarding the killing of 38-year-old John Sheldon of Brooklyn on April 25.
Police said the bloodshed unfolded on board a downtown 6 train as it approached the City Hall station at around 8:37 a.m. on April 25. Jose-Duarte reportedly stepped on Sheldon’s sneakers, prompting a heated argument that quickly spiraled out of control.
Law enforcement sources said the suspect stabbed Sheldon multiple times with a cutting instrument. The victim collapsed onto the City Hall platform in a puddle of blood — a sight that shocked witnesses at the scene.
“He was a big guy; he was covered in blood. They [first responders] were working on him. There were a lot of people and they were running,” an eyewitness who did not give his name told amNewYork.
EMS rushed Sheldon to Bellevue Hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds.
The deadly incident came amid the city’s ongoing fight to keep the subways safe. Through April 20, the NYPD reported a more than 10% decrease in overall transit crime compared to last year, with law enforcement sources crediting increased patrols for helping to turn things around.
