Manhattan man charged after commuters slashed on Kew Gardens subway platform
Queens, NY — A 27-year-old man has been charged in connection with a series of slashing assaults that left two subway riders injured on the Union Turnpike–Kew Gardens platform during the Wednesday afternoon rush.
Prosecutors said the incident unfolded between 3:10 p.m. and 3:25 p.m. when Tyquan Manassa approached commuters waiting on the E and F train platform and struck them with a sharp object before leaving the station. The attacks occurred without warning as riders stood near the tracks.
According to the charges, the first victim was cut across the forehead and ear and later received 16 stitches at a nearby hospital. A second bystander was slapped across the face. A third man was then struck with a knife, causing a laceration above the eyebrow that required seven stitches. Manassa fled the station after the final assault.
Manassa, of Charles Gay Loop in Manhattan, was arrested Friday at Manhattan Criminal Court. He was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on multiple counts of first- and second-degree assault, along with a fourth-degree weapon possession charge. He was ordered to return to court on Tuesday. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.
The slashing attacks prompted an immediate response from officers assigned to the station and assistance from bystanders who aided the victims. Detectives later identified Manassa as the suspect through witness accounts and station surveillance.
The case is being prosecuted by the Career Criminal Major Crimes Bureau within the Queens District Attorney’s Office.
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Key Points
- Two commuters were slashed and a third was struck during an afternoon assault on the Union Turnpike–Kew Gardens subway platform
- Suspect Tyquan Manassa, 27, has been charged with multiple counts of assault and weapon possession
- Manassa faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted and is due back in court on Tuesday