NEW YORK — The alleged assailant implicated in a horrifying subway assault has been apprehended and indicted on murder charges.
Authorities claim he brutally shoved a woman from Queens into an oncoming subway train on the Upper East Side over the weekend, causing grievous spinal injuries.
The suspect was tracked down at a Queens shelter, following which he was detained at a police establishment at Columbus Circle.
As for the victim, her family relayed that initial doctor’s prognoses were grim, predicting paralysis from the neck down. However, there was a glimmer of hope on Tuesday when she demonstrated movement in her arms.
“She’s sustained a neck injury… a broken neck, her spine,” said her relative Nadim Ozsoy in a distraught tone.
According to Ozsoy, the shocking incident has left his family reeling. His 35-year-old relative, Emine Oszoy, was on her usual commute to work on Sunday when she was violently thrust into a departing subway train at the Lexington and East 63rd Street station around 6 p.m.
Emine Oszoy was immediately rushed to the hospital suffering from critical head, neck and spinal trauma, in addition to fractured ribs.
A 39-year-old man was charged on Tuesday with shoving a woman’s head against a moving subway train in an apparently random attack in a Manhattan station that left her critically injured, the police said. https://t.co/VsOOHl8qE5
— The New York Times (@nytimes) May 23, 2024
The perpetrator fled the scene.
“It’s an appalling act, a deranged individual. This man is clearly unstable,” remarked Nadim Ozsoy.
Within 24 hours, the police apprehended 39-year-old Kamal Semrade, who was led out of Transit District 1, head bowed and silent. He faces charges of attempted murder and assault.
In a public statement, transit authorities praised the NYPD’s swift action, saying, “Using stills from MTA cameras, the NYPD was able to apprehend a suspect promptly, initiating the process of justice for the victim who is in our thoughts during this dreadful time. The onus is now on the prosecution to ensure the harshest legal penalties are enforced.”
Sources say a tip-off led the police to Semrade, who resided in a shelter close to LaGuardia Airport. He was arrested on Monday night. Presented with surveillance images from the crime scene, he requested legal counsel and offered no insight into his motive.
“What prompted it? Was it a hate crime? Could it be a mental health issue?” pondered neighbor Lila Stromer.
The same neighbor wondered why anyone would target Oszoy, who was always sociable and amicable.
“When we found out, we were absolutely appalled, she’s such a lovely person,” commented Stromer.
Insider sources indicate the assault seems to be random, however, police have yet to interrogate Emine Oszoy. On Tuesday, she underwent a third grueling eight-hour surgery, drifting in and out of consciousness.
Family members shared with CBS2 that her journey to recovery will be long and arduous, but assured that she has always been a fighter.
According to NYPD data, so far this year, three people have been pushed onto the subway tracks, compared to nine such incidents in 2022.
New York’s always been a hub for crime, and even Boston isn’t immune these days. The crime rate there is 6.6 per 1000 residents.
