Subway Slasher Convicted In Brutal Unprovoked Attack, DA Says

HELL'S KITCHEN, NY — A man who brutally attacked a stranger on a Midtown subway platform—stomping on his head and slashing him with a sharp object—has been convicted at trial, Manhattan prosecutors said.

A New York State Supreme Court jury found 24-year-old Orsen Reyes guilty of attempted murder and multiple assault charges for the December 2024 attack inside the 50th Street station, according to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

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"A jury has convicted Orsen Reyes of carrying out a vicious, unprovoked attack against a stranger that caused significant injuries and could have easily been fatal," Bragg said.

Bragg said Reyes, who was masked, approached a 48-year-old man from behind on the uptown platform near West 50th Street and Eighth Avenue shortly after 1 a.m. on Dec. 30, 2024.

Armed with a sharp object, Reyes slashed the man multiple times, then repeatedly stomped on his head—at one point, grabbing the victim’s leg and trying to drag him toward the tracks, according to trial evidence, Bragg said.

Witnesses watching from the opposite platform called 911, and one recorded part of the attack as Reyes walked away, Bragg said.

Reyes was arrested roughly 20 minutes later at the 59th Street–Columbus Circle station, still carrying a knife and two screwdrivers and with blood on his sneaker and hand, prosecutors said.

The victim was hospitalized at Bellevue Hospital for six days with a traumatic brain injury, a fractured orbital bone and multiple cuts to his face, neck and eye, Bragg said.

Reyes was convicted of attempted murder in the second degree, first- and second-degree assault and weapons possession.

"The conviction holds him accountable for this prolonged act of violence and reaffirms our commitment to protecting New Yorkers navigating our transit system," Bragg said.

Reyes is expected to be sentenced on June 24.

For questions, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.