After a woman loses feet while pushing on the subway, her boyfriend is sued

A woman was hit by a subway train in Manhattan and had both feet amputated after her boyfriend pushed her onto the tracks during an argument, police said.

The man, Christian Valdez, 35, was charged with attempted murder and assault for pushing the 29-year-old woman at the Fulton Street station where she was struck by a southbound No. 3 train Saturday morning, police said . Officers responding to a 911 call just before 10:30 a.m. found the woman on the tracks, conscious and responsive.

The woman, who police have not named, was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where her feet were amputated, according to police and a law enforcement official.

Mr. Valdez had previously served time in prison for dismembering a woman and her child.

The incident occurred three days after Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, announced she would assign 750 National Guard troops and 250 state troopers and Metropolitan Transportation Authority employees to patrol the subway and conduct random bag searches. The move, which she said is intended to reduce transit crime, drew heavy criticism from New Yorkers, police and members of both political parties.

According to police and MTA officials, overall crime on public transit fell last year, while the number of daily riders rose 14 percent. This year, major transit crime increased by about 13 percent between January 1 and March 3, according to police data.

Felony assaults have contributed to the increase. From January 1 to March 3, there were 97 crimes on public transport, compared to 84 in the same period last year – an increase of 15.5 percent.

In 2017, Mr. Valdez was charged with assault, burglary, intimidation and acting in a manner harmful to a child for breaking into a Bronx apartment and dismembering a 37-year-old woman and her 3-year-old daughter , the police said. . He was paroled from Sing Sing Correctional Facility last year, according to police and state prison records.

His last known address is a homeless shelter in downtown Brooklyn, according to police and city records. His arraignment in Manhattan is pending.

Metro safety has become a focus for Ms Hochul after the perception of crime during the pandemic deterred some people from taking the train.

Shortly after her initial announcement of the National Guard deployment, she appeared to take note of the criticism and issued a directive that National Guard members would be prohibited from carrying long guns during bag searches. Soldiers who do not carry out these searches will probably be allowed to wear them.