Violent Subway Attack in Brooklyn Leads to Arrest of Repeat Offender
Police in New York have arrested a man following a brutal and unprovoked assault at a Brooklyn subway station, where one woman was pushed onto the tracks and another was repeatedly punched in the face. The incident, which occurred on Saturday morning, has highlighted ongoing concerns about safety in the city's transit system.
Details of the Shocking Assault
The attack took place around 8:45 a.m. on the R subway line at the 53rd Street and Fourth Avenue station in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. According to police sources and eyewitness accounts, Curtis Signal, 25, first pushed a 51-year-old woman onto the tracks without any warning, causing her to suffer three broken ribs. He then turned his aggression towards a 43-year-old woman standing on the platform, punching her multiple times in the face. She was subsequently taken to a hospital with significant facial injuries.
Eyewitness Al Rivera described the terrifying scene to reporters, stating, "The guy was sitting on the platform and they were standing. All of a sudden he pushed her on the tracks and then he turned around and pounced on the other lady. He was hitting her, punching her in the face." Two other bystanders immediately rushed to help the woman who had been pushed onto the tracks, dragging her back to safety. Rivera added, "I can only imagine how petrified they were."
Arrest and Charges Filed
Signal was arrested shortly after the attack at a nearby men's shelter. He has been charged with reckless endangerment, assault, and harassment. The New York Police Department confirmed the arrest but has not provided further details on the investigation. Signal is reported to be a repeat offender who is currently on probation until June 2027.
History of Violent Behavior
This incident is not the first time Signal has been involved in violent assaults at subway stations. In early September 2023, he allegedly punched a 67-year-old woman multiple times in the face while she waited for an F train at 169th Street in Jamaica, Queens. He fled the scene and was only connected to that assault months later when arrested for fare evasion.
Less than a week after that attack, Signal also assaulted a police officer at the Grand Concourse/Tremont Avenue station in the Bronx, leaving the officer with a broken nose. In that case, he was charged with assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and obstruction of governmental administration.
Furthermore, in May 2022, Signal was charged with assault and acting in a manner injurious to a child after allegedly hitting his 13-year-old sister and giving her a black eye. These prior incidents underscore a pattern of violent behavior that has now culminated in Saturday's alarming subway attack.
The Independent has reached out to the NYPD for additional information on the latest incident, as the community grapples with the shock of such a random and vicious assault in a public space.
