What to Know
- A man died after he was sucker-punched and landed on subway tracks in downtown Brooklyn, police say
- The 65-year-old victim was punched by an 18-year-old man who'd been talking to himself on the platform, according to police
- Police said the 18-year-old is in custody but that they're looking for the good Samaritans who helped the victim off the tracks
A 65-year-old man died after he was sucker-punched and fell onto subway tracks at a station in downtown Brooklyn, police say.
The man, later identified as Jacinto Suarez of Staten Island, was punched by an 18-year-old man who'd been talking to himself as he walked up and down the R train platform at the Jay St.-MetroTech station, according to police.
The victim had been standing near the edge of the platform when the suspect got near him and he asked him to "get away," police said. The suspect left but allegedly came back and sucker-punched the man.
The victim landed onto the train tracks and was knocked unconscious. Good Samaritans helped get the unconscious man off the tracks and back onto the platform.
The victim was not hit by a train but suffered severe injuries from the fall, police said. He was taken in critical condition to Brooklyn Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His identity has been withheld pending the notification of his family.
The 18-year-old suspect stayed at the scene and was taken into police custody.
Local
At a press conference Wednesday night, police said they were searching for the good Samaritans who helped the man off the tracks.
Most entrances to the busy station appeared to be blocked off with crime scene tape around 5 p.m. as police continued to investigate.
The MTA said northbound R trains were bypassing the station but that all other trains were stopping there.
