Homeless man pushes Asian woman onto oncoming train in New York, killing her

An Asian-American woman died after a homeless man pushed her onto an oncoming train at Times Square station last Saturday (Jan 15).

Michelle Alyssa Go, 40, had been waiting for her southbound train that morning when a man pushed her onto the tracks. She was instantly killed, reported Associated Press. 

The man, 61-year-old Simon Martial, then rode the train to Lower Manhattan where he turned himself in to the police. 

Martial also taunted another woman minutes before he attacked Go, said Jason Wilcox, assistant chief of the New York police department (NYPD).

"He approaches her and he gets in her space. She gets very, very alarmed. She tries to move away from him and he gets close to her, and she feels that he was about to physically push her into the train," he told reporters. 

NYPD commissioner Keechant Sewell called the incident a "senseless act of violence".

"This incident was unprovoked and the victim does not appear to have had any interaction with the subject," she added. 

Martial, who previously served two prison sentences, has been charged with second-degree murder, reported The New York Times. 

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Violent attacks at New York train stations have become a concern for authorities in recent months. In May last year, several commuters were slashed and assaulted by a group of attackers on board the same train. 

There were also four separate train stabbings last February, two of which were fatal. 

Following the recent spate of attacks, New York authorities announced that they will deploy more police officers to patrol train stations to ensure commuters' safety.

Social workers and medical professionals will also provide services to homeless individuals residing on the streets and near train stations. 

claudiatan@asiaone.com