A 36-year-old man was sentenced to 18 months in state prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to attempted murder for shoving his girlfriend in front of an oncoming train at a downtown Manhattan subway station, the district attorney’s office announced.
Christian Valdez was arguing with his girlfriend on the Fulton Street Station platform for 2 and 3 trains on March 9, 2024, when he pushed her toward the tracks as a downtown train entered the station, prosecutors said. First responders found the victim underneath the train and rushed her to the hospital, where both of her legs were amputated.
Valdez pleaded guilty in New York State Supreme Court, presided by Judge Michele Rodney, last month, according to court filings.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said Valdez’s sentencing attempts to rectify the harm he has caused his girlfriend.
“Christian Valdez will serve nearly two decades in prison following his conviction for committing a life-threatening act of domestic violence in our transit system,” said District Attorney Bragg. “As a result of this extremely serious attack, the victim has permanent physical injuries, and experiences emotional trauma. I hope the resolution of this case offers her some sense of justice.”
After the attack, Valdez fled the station and went to New Jersey, according to prosecutors. He returned later that day with the same clothes, helping police detectives identify him.
The victim, who also suffered a blood clot in her lungs and multiple rib fractures, said at the sentencing hearing that her life would never be the same.
“An iteration of me was murdered that day,” the victim said. “One that could feel the earth beneath her feet.”
Bragg said he was grateful for the NYPD detectives and first responders who helped arrest Valdez and save the victim.
Valdez was previously convicted for stabbing a 37-year-old woman and her 3-year-old daughter in 2017. He was released on parole in January 2023.
At the time of his indictment, Bragg said the district attorney’s office takes transit crime seriously.
“We take all acts of violence against riders very seriously, and my thoughts are with the victim as she navigates this terrible and horrifying incident,” Bragg said.
