Homeless Man Pleads Guilty to Pushing Student Onto Train Tracks in White Plains

A man who pushed a Hunter College student in front of a Metro North train at the White Plains stations pleaded guilty to attempted murder on Tuesday.

Howard Mickens, 40, pushed Maya Leggat, 21, into the path of an oncoming train on Sept. 25, 2013. Leggat suffered a broken back, a severed finger, multiple broken bones and lacerations across her body.

Leggat survived the incident.

“This defendant’s vicious and unprovoked attack is every commuter’s nightmare. Without any warning or prior interaction, a young woman on her way to college was shoved in front of a moving train. While this young woman’s quick and clear headed thinking saved her life, this defendant will be held to account for his actions and serve the maximum sentence,” District Attorney Janet DiFiore said in a press release.

Mickens will be sentenced on Jan. 20, 2015 and will face a maximum sentence of 25 years.

Image via Shutterstock

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