A man wielding a hammer allegedly attacked an MTA employee on a Manhattan subway platform overnight, then ran off and tried to hide under a parked train before cops cut the power and apprehended him, authorities say.
There was no immediate speculation on a possible motive for the attack, which happened shortly before 2 a.m. Tuesday at the 14th Street and Eighth Avenue L line platform.
Cops say it appears that the suspect, later identified as 27-year-old Alexe St. Fleur, somehow got inside an MTA workroom and grabbed the hammer out of a tool bag. He then used it on the unsuspecting 51-year-old worker, police say.
The victim was taken to a hospital for treatment and is expected to be OK.
The alleged attacker was taken into custody and brought to Bellevue Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. St. Fleur, of Brooklyn, faces a slew of charges including robbery, assault, burglary, possession of stolen property, and more. Attorney information for St. Fleur was not immediately available.
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox.> Sign up for NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.