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Bronx man sentenced to 15 years for stabbing longtime NYC subway worker
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Dec 15, 2025
Modified Dec 15, 2025
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Adam Moss via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Dec 15, 2025
Modified Dec 15, 2025
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A Bronx man who pleaded guilty to attempted murder for brutally stabbing a subway worker in Brooklyn last year was sentenced Monday to 15 years in prison — after the survivor of the attack told the courtroom he’s still dealing with the trauma.
Jonathan Davalos was arrested in October 2024 on accusations of attacking Myran Pollack, who was working on a 4 train and asked Davalos to get off at the end of the line in Crown Heights. Law enforcement and MTA officials said Davalos, who was 27 at the time, refused to exit the train and became irate, chasing Pollack onto the platform, pinning him down and stabbing him 11 times in his torso, abdomen and thigh.
In an emotional statement, Pollack, who now walks with a cane, described the harrowing assault and his difficult journey through recovery. He recalled Davalos said nothing to him before pulling out a large kitchen knife.
“It was like looking at the face of a mannequin,” he said. “I froze. By the time I realized what was happening, I was stabbed three times.”
Pollack, then already in his 60s, needed multiple surgeries and was placed into a medically induced coma, according to the Transport Workers Union Local 100, which represents MTA workers. He was a three-decade veteran of the transit agency at the time, officials said.
The worker in court thanked NYPD officers on the platform, along with his MTA supervisor, for keeping him alive that day as he bled profusely through several wounds. Pollack said he spent 16 days in the hospital, relearning how to walk and undergoing painful physical therapy. After his discharge, the pain was so intense he said he contemplated suicide, but his support network got him through.
“By God’s grace alone I’m still here,” Pollack said, adding he still struggles with severe post-traumatic stress disorder and social anxiety. He said working for the MTA was his "dream job" and he's since had to retire.
Davalos appeared on video for his sentencing, which his lawyer Niamh O’Flaherty said she requested because he “suffers from a variety of mental health issues, specifically paranoia.” He refused to enter the courtroom several months ago, which postponed his sentencing until December.
Jonathan Davalos appeared virtually in Brooklyn Supreme Court for his sentencing on Dec. 15, 2025.
Brittany Kriegstein / Gothamist
As Pollack spoke, Davalos fidgeted in his holding cell and at times appeared to bite his arm. Judge Carolina Holderness had trouble getting him to respond to some of her questions, though he said “no” when asked if he wanted to make a statement.
Davalos was previously convicted of assaulting an MTA employee and rider in two separate incidents, according to authorities. He was also sentenced Monday to five years of post-release supervision.
“If it was possible to go back in time to the moments before the attack and you asked me for help, I would have done everything in my power to make sure you was OK,” Pollack said to Davalos. “But even though I should be burning with hate towards you, I will not go that route.”
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez addressed reporters outside the courtroom, saying, “If you attack a member of the MTA or Local 100, this office will do everything in its power to prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”
“No one who ever comes to work in this great city should ever have to be fearful of doing their job,” he added.
NYPD data shows overall transit crime is down 5% as of Dec. 7, compared to the same date last year. But within that category, felony assaults are at roughly the same level as in 2024, at more than 530 in each year, the data shows.
This story has been updated with additional information.
Tagged
Crown Heights
brooklyn
new york city
public safety
transportation
Brittany Kriegstein
Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence. Got a tip? Email Brittany at [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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