A Bronx man is facing serious charges after an incident on a southbound No. 5 train near the Fulton Street station that escalated into violence. According to authorities from both the police department and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the man, identified as Earl, allegedly became enraged when an elderly victim accidentally stumbled over his foot around 6:10 a.m. Earl then reportedly punched the senior in the face, triggering a physical altercation that culminated in Earl placing the victim in a chokehold and continuing to assault him. An assistant district attorney presented these allegations during Earl’s arraignment on January 2.
The assault resulted in the victim sustaining cuts on his face and head, prompting him to seek medical attention at Kings County Hospital Center. This was not the first time Earl found himself on the wrong side of the law. He had been arrested in July in the Bronx for assaulting a security guard at a 99-cent store, according to a previous complaint. Earl’s criminal record revealed a history of at least 14 arrests, with four of them related to alleged assault offenses. During one of the incidents, he was quoted as angrily questioning his victim, “Why are you not attending to me?”
Following the recent assault case, Earl’s legal proceedings took an unexpected turn when his case was adjourned in contemplation of dismissal, although the reason behind this decision remained unclear. Additionally, he was ordered to maintain distance from the victim by Bronx prosecutors. Earl has a lengthy history of encounters with law enforcement, having faced charges for assault dating back to 1999. He has also been arrested previously for offenses involving criminal possession of a weapon and marijuana.
When reached for comment, Earl’s Legal Aid Attorney, Lizzie-anne Beal, offered a succinct response, stating, “I will just say that he was rightfully released.” Earl is scheduled to appear in court again on February 27, as indicated by records.
This incident contributed to a string of violent events within the city’s transit system, including a tragic incident in which a woman suffered fatal burns, a man was pushed in front of a train, and multiple stabbings or slashings occurred. The New York Police Department’s transit bureau documented 579 felony assaults in 2024, a slight increase from the previous year’s figures based on preliminary data. The year also saw ten reported murders on the transit system, matching the record set in 2022, which was the highest in 25 years. Despite these alarming statistics, overall major crimes in the transit system decreased by 5.4% compared to 2023.
