An 83-year-old man died a week after a suspect shoved him and another man onto the subway tracks inside a Manhattan station, police said Thursday.
The NYPD said Richard Williams, of Roosevelt Island, died on March 17, nine days after the random subway attack on the Upper East Side. He succumbed to the injuries he sustained in the March 8 assault, police said.
Bairon Hernandez was arrested two days after the attack and charged with attempted murder, attempted assault, assault and reckless endangerment in connection with the incident at the Lexington Avenue-63rd Street subway station.
The NYPD called the attack random and unprovoked.
According to investigators, a 30-year-old man was standing on the southbound F/Q platform at the Upper East Side station around 11:30 a.m. when a man came up from behind. Police said that individual, believed to be Hernandez, pushed the 30-year-old, who fell onto the subway tracks.
Hernandez then walked up to Williams on the platform and pushed him, too, police said. The elderly man also fell to the tracks, and was later taken to a hospital with critical injuries.
Two days after the attack, Williams’ daughter said her father was still at Weill Cornell Hospital in critical condition.
“The only reason I’m talking to anybody is because I just want the right thing to be done by this man. I want to draw attention,” Debbie Williams told NBC New York over the phone. “This is everybody’s father. This is everybody’s grandfather now.”
Williams’ daughter says her father had planned to go shopping Sunday, but he never made it there.
“My father is an awesome, giving man. He was enjoying his best life on Roosevelt Island. Going to the city independently at 83 years old, doing whatever he wanted to do,” said Debbie.
The younger victim, John Rodriguez, was treated for less severe injuries. He spoke to NBC New York on Monday, describing how terrified he was and how grateful he is to be alive.
Rodriguez shared video he took when he was stuck on the tracks waiting for help — and praying a train wasn’t close to arriving at the station. He said he saw blood on the other victim’s head and shouted for help.
Fortunately, neither victim was hit by a train. Both were pulled by Good Samaritans back to safety on the platform before a train arrived.
As the 34-year-old Hernandez was walked from a police station after his arrest, he said “no” and shook his head when asked if he was the one who shoved the two victims. Attorney information for Hernandez was not immediately clear.
“There’s no words. How do you talk to the devil?” said Debbie Williams. “He’s the devil.”