NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — The NYPD released media depicting suspects wanted in two separate anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes on Saturday, one of which occurred on a Manhattan A subway train on Friday night and another on the streets of Astoria, Queens last month.
A man was slashed across the hand with a boxcutter on a Manhattan northbound A train at about 11:03 p.m. on Friday, and police have identified the attack as a hate crime assault.
The slashing occurred as the train was approaching the 34th Street/Penn Station subway station.
Officials said that the 27-year-old victim was approached by an unknown man who made an anti-LGBTQ+ statement toward him before pulling out a boxcutter.
The victim held up his hands to block the attack, and was slashed across his left hand, police said. He then exited the train at 34th Street/Penn Station and alerted police of the assault.
EMS transported him to NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue in stable condition, while the suspect remained on the train.
The suspect is depicted below in a photo provided by police.
Police are investigating another hate crime assault that occurred on Feb. 8 in Astoria, Queens.
At about 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 8, two male victims were walking on Broadway near 33rd Street when four strangers, all identified by police as male, began throwing “hard objects” at the victims while making anti-LGBTQ+ statements.
One of the suspects then started punching one of the victims, 36, repeatedly in the face. The man suffered swelling and bruising, authorities said.
The suspects fled in an unknown direction.
Police said all four suspects appear to be in their mid-teens, and photos of two of the youths are depicted below, along with an additional video showing the suspects.
Anyone with information regarding either of the anti-LGBTQ+ attacks are asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.