Maniac shoves 72-year-old man into moving NYC train — in 2026’s first burst of random subway violence

A disturbing incident unfolded in the early hours of Thursday morning in New York City, as a 72-year-old man was viciously shoved into the path of an oncoming train at the Bronx’s 161-Yankee Stadium station. The perpetrator, identified as 29-year-old Anton Aleshin, allegedly pushed the elderly man, causing him to collide with the train. The victim was rushed to NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln and is currently in stable condition.

Aleshin was apprehended at the scene and now faces charges of attempted murder, assault, and reckless endangerment. Police sources suggest that he may have been under the influence of alcohol at the time of the attack. The suspect, a resident of Brooklyn, is awaiting arraignment in Bronx Criminal Court.

This disturbing incident comes on the heels of a recent spate of violence in the city’s subway system. Just days earlier, a 26-year-old man named Caleb Polidore allegedly slashed a 33-year-old man in the face with a box cutter following a confrontation inside a Brooklyn subway station. The altercation escalated near the turnstile of the 53rd Street R train, resulting in the victim sustaining injuries to his face, neck, and chest.

In a separate incident, a brazen assailant assaulted a 31-year-old female train conductor, striking her in the face and stealing her train keys while she was making an announcement on a stalled train in downtown Brooklyn. These troubling incidents highlight the ongoing safety concerns within the city’s public transit system.

These incidents have occurred despite Governor Hochul’s recent announcement of a $77 million commitment to enhance security measures in subway stations across the city. The governor touted a decrease in transit crime, with overall subway crime dropping by 15% from 2019 to 2025.

As authorities continue to address these concerning incidents, it is clear that more needs to be done to ensure the safety of passengers and employees within New York City’s subway system. The recent acts of violence serve as a stark reminder of the importance of maintaining vigilance and implementing effective measures to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.