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NYPD arrests 25-year-old who stabbed a man to death on the J train
By
Brittany Kriegstein
and
Charles Lane
Published Oct 1, 2026
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By
Brittany Kriegstein
and
Charles Lane
Published Oct 1, 2026
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A Bronx man is facing murder and weapons possession charges for fatally stabbing a stranger on a J train in Queens on Wednesday afternoon, according to police.
NYPD officials said Jyrell Thomas, 25, killed 59-year-old Mesias Lojano around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday aboard a southbound train at the Woodhaven Boulevard station.
Thomas was taken into custody shortly afterward to be questioned, and was charged on Thursday morning, police said.
Lojano was taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he died. Police said he lived in Corona, Queens, less than a mile from where he was killed.
Lojano was from Ecuador, according to his neighbor Francisca Martinez.
“He was a good person,” she said. “He never bothered anyone.”
Martinez said he had three sons and a daughter, and lived with two of them. All of them were adults and kept to themselves. She said he worked in construction and lived in the building for ten years, but didn’t know when he came to the U.S.
Another neighbor, 25-year-old Luis Navaro, said the neighborhood is mostly other Ecuadorians who work a lot and rent rooms. He described Lojano as someone he’d say hello and goodbye to.
“Everybody is crazy on the trains,” he said. “All the time, it’s bad.”
Officials said it was not immediately clear what sparked the violence between the two men, but they said the attack appeared to be unprovoked.
This story was updated with information about Lojano.
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nypd
queens
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].
Read more
Charles Lane
Charles is a Day-of reporter focused on breaking news and enterprise. He’s very friendly and can be reached at [email protected], or more securely on whatsapp/signal 631-295-6715
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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