A homophobic attack that occurred aboard a New York City subway car last month reportedly left a 20-year-old woman with a fractured spine, and now police are searching for her assailant.
According to police, the incident happened on Friday, November 30 at about 5 p.m. as the female victim and another woman were riding a Manhattan-bound E train. At some point during the journey, the suspect — who has been identified by police as a 5'11" man between 50 and 60 years old — engaged in a verbal dispute with the victim, during which he hurled homophobic slurs based upon his perception of her sexuality.
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Eventually, the man approached the victim from behind and punched her in the back of the head, causing her to fall and hit the ground. The suspect continued to stay on the train until he arrived at the Forest Hills 71 Av station, where he fled on foot. The woman was later transported to Elmhurst Hospital Centre and treated for a fractured spine.
The NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force has released both a still image and video footage of the incident in the hopes that eyewitnesses will come forward with new information that could eventually lead to an arrest.