Man Fatally Stabbed on D Train in Manhattan

A passenger aboard a northbound D train in Midtown Manhattan was stabbed to death early Saturday after arguing with another man over a seat in the subway car, the authorities said.

The victim, who was not immediately identified, was pronounced dead by paramedics at the Seventh Avenue station at West 53rd Street. He had been stabbed in the face and neck with a steak knife, which was recovered at the scene, the police said.

A suspect, Gerardo Sanchez, 37, of the Bronx, was arrested by officers from the Police Department’s Transit Bureau. He was charged with second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon.

Detectives said the two men were strangers who clashed over a seat, but details of the confrontation were not immediately clear. The victim was seated in the first car of the train when Mr. Sanchez boarded at the Rockefeller Center station, the police said.

The stabbing occurred after the argument, the police said, and detectives were investigating reports that it began after the victim refused to move his bag so that Mr. Sanchez could sit down.

About a dozen passengers were in the car when the attack occurred about 2 a.m., the police said.

Charles Seaton, a spokesman for New York City Transit, said the stabbing occurred while the train was moving between the Rockefeller Center and Seventh Avenue stations.

Paul J. Fleuranges, another agency spokesman, said a rider told the train operator what had happened. The operator “went back to investigate and found the victim,” Mr. Fleuranges said.

The train operator notified the rail control center, Mr. Seaton said, and officials there contacted the police. The operator stopped the train at the Seventh Avenue station, he said.

It was not clear if officers met the train when it arrived.

Because of the way the train is designed, the doors between the cars are kept locked to prevent passengers from moving between them, Mr. Seaton said.

omg thats terrible, my mouth literally fell open when i saw this

They should install metal detectors at the subways from now on.

I was on the D train earlier that Saturday too....

Impossible. If you don't live in NYC, you wouldn't understand.

Spill the tea at least, please.

Too many people use the subway every day. To put people through metal detectors would cause serious delays. More people would actually want to take the risk as it is then add the unnecessary delay.

Ok. I thought it would somehow work with New York since Bangkok goes through the same process with their subways. Although, some citizens thought it was counterproductive.

I feel safe on the London tube: all the cctvs and policemen deter this behaviour (at least that's what I'd like to think).
Although you can never really know, but I've always felt unsafe riding the NYC subway.

though it's just one stop i was on it also friday night coming back from 34th street
this whole incident though is just stupidity at it's finest. people go hard when it comes to seats but why the **** are you fighting over one when the train is empty?


there's nothing "unsafe" about it. i don't see how taking the train in ny would be any less dangerous than walking the streets in fact i'm more likely to get jump walking down the block lmao. common sense is your best friend when it comes to these situations if you're talking the train late nights and notice you're being followed then it's best you ****en run lol apart from late nights and the occasional "bomb threats" you'll be fine as long you recognize who got that seat first..

It is only unsafe late at night (after midnight). During the day, it is no more unsafe than driving a car.

Stabbed in the face and neck..... ruthless...

What was the point of highlighting the dozen passengers in the article. Don't blame them? What were they supposed to do?

I used to take this train all the time.

I pity the guy.

umm. it wasn't obvious by the time you finished reading it?

I ****ing hate people who block seats with their bags. The guy deserved to be killed.

Whats with all these killing on train & Subways now. Its scary