Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Union Square Slasher: "DON'T LOOK AT ME!"
By
John Del Signore
Published Feb 5, 2015
Modified Feb 5, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Feb 5, 2015
Modified Feb 5, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The NYPD has released security camera footage showing the man wanted for slashing three people in the face with a boxcutter near Union Square on Wednesday morning. Police say the rampage started on a northbound 4 train at Bleecker Street around 1:30 a.m., when the suspect approached the victim and suddenly punched him in the face "with the exposed blade of a box cutter in his hand." Here's security camera footage of the suspect entering the subway station:
The suspect fled the subway system at Union Square, slapping a woman in the face along the way. He ran up the stairs and emerged by the Food Emporium, where he encountered a 46-year-old man by the elevator. Police say he asked the man for $2, and when the man refused, he slashed the right side of his face.
The suspect then crossed 14th Street and approached a 59-year-old man waiting for the M14 bus. He asked the victim for a dollar, and when he refused, the suspect slashed him on the right side of his face. All four victims were treated at Bellevue Hospital and released.
The suspect's first victim was a 31-year-old Bronx resident named Randy Vasquez. He tells the Daily News that the suspect "was harassing people on the platform" at Broadway-Lafayette. "He was screaming his mind out. 'Why are you looking at me! Don't look at me!' He was swaying left to right. He wasn't stable. I thought, 'oh boy another day in New York.' "
When Vasquez boarded the train, the suspect hit him in the face with the exposed edge of the boxcutter. "I didn't realize I was stabbed until something was dripping down my cheek," he tells the tabloid.
The suspect remains at large. The NYPD says he was last seen wearing a white hooded sweatshirt, black vest, blue jeans and red sneakers.
Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call Crime stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). You can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.
Tagged
boxcutter
stabbing
subway
union square
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NYC early voting dips compared to 2025, but spikes in majority-Black districts
Mayor Mamdani's robust support for Gov. Hochul couldn’t quite match the level of early voting in 2025.
By
Brigid Bergin
and
Joe Hong
Published Nov 2, 2026 at 6:06 p.m. ET
NYPD officers shoot man after exchange of gunfire outside Bronx deli, police say
Police say the man threatened people inside a deli before exchanging gunfire with officers. He is expected to survive.
By
Giulia Heyward
News
NYPD officers shoot man after exchange of gunfire outside Bronx deli, police say
Police say the man threatened people inside a deli before exchanging gunfire with officers. He is expected to survive.
By
Giulia Heyward
Washington Square Park snowball thrower gets community service for pelting NYPD
By
Walter Wuthmann
Stabbing of Brooklyn runner believed to be ‘random attack,’ NYPD says
By
Ben Feuerherd
NYPD wants info from schools after 15-year-old Bronx boy shot and killed
By
Charles Lane
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .