A Honduran national who has been deported four times has been charged with murder after a man was shoved onto subway tracks in New York City and died from his injuries days later.
Richard Williams, an 83-year-old Manhattan resident, died days after the March 8 incident, police said. Police arrested 34-year-old Brooklyn resident Bairon Hernandez two days later.
Why It Matters
Authorities announced that Hernandez’s charges had been upgraded on Thursday, following Williams’ death. Hernandez was initially facing attempted murder, assault and other charges, but those charges have been upgraded to murder, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office said.
Hernandez is a Honduran national who has been deported four times since he first entered the United States illegally in 2008, according to the Department of Homeland Security. He entered the country illegally a fifth time at an unknown date and location, the agency said.
Hernandez’s criminal history includes 15 prior charges of simple assault, domestic violence, obstruction of police, possession of a weapon, drug possession and aggravated assault, DHS said.
What To Know
Police said Williams was standing on the Lexington Avenue-63 Street subway platform when a man he did not know shoved him from behind, causing him to fall onto the tracks.
The suspect also pushed a 30-year-old man onto the tracks before fleeing on foot. Both victims were taken to the hospital to receive treatment for their injuries.
Hernandez was arrested after authorities asked for the public’s help in identifying the attacker, who was captured on video after the incident.
What People Are Saying
Lupe Todd-Medina, spokesperson for New York County Defender Services, in a statement obtained by the Associated Press: “We have yet to see the indictment, concluded our investigation or reviewed the expected voluminous discovery materials.”
Lauren Bis, a deputy assistant secretary for DHS, told the Associated Press that Hernandez “should never have been able to walk our streets and harm innocent Americans.”
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
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Update 3/26/26, 5:39 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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