What to Know
- A pregnant woman was in critical condition and her friend in serious after they were stabbed in the Bronx Thursday night, officials say
- Derrick Wilson, 50, allegedly stabbed the pair after an argument over space on the subway and was subdued until police arrived, police say
- Wilson is charged with attempted murder, assault, menacing and possession of a weapon, authorities say
A woman who is three months pregnant was recovering at a New York City hospital on Friday after she and a friend were stabbed on a subway train by a man with 12 prior arrests, police said.
Shaday Tripp, 24, and her friend, 21-year-old Zakia Lewis, were riding a 2 train in the Morrisania section of the Bronx before the attack Thursday evening. Lewis said she had Tripp sitting on her lap, since the train was crowded and she was pregnant.
At some point during the ride, one of the women bumped into a man, sparking an argument that led to the stabbing, police say.
“Out of nowhere, he did it so fast, stabbed her in her neck,” Lewis said. “I pushed her so she won’t get stabbed again. I got stabbed one time. He was trying to stab me again.”
After the attack, Lewis and Tripp ran off the train at Prospect Avenue. Lewis did her best to stop her friend’s bleeding, knowing that she was three months pregnant.
“I have my best friend’s blood on my hands, so she won’t die in my hands,” Lewis said. “There was a lot of blood.”
Witnesses said the man, later identified as 50-year-old Derrick Wilson, tried to flee, but passengers on the train subdued him and held him until police arrived. One witness said the crowd wanted to rough up Wilson, but he eventually talked them out of it.
Police arrested Wilson at the subway station; video taken during his arrest appears to show his white shirt covered in blood.
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“Before I got on the train, I think he was up to something already, because why would you be carrying a knife inside your pocket?” Tripp said from her bedside.
Wilson faced a judge Friday on a number of charges, including attempted murder, five counts of assault, two counts of menacing and two counts of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
Wilson's mother and two other relatives were at his arraignment. They were upset that his bail was set at $200,000.
The attorney, a public defender, was adamant that his client does not have a mental illness and said Wilson may have feared for his own safety.
His girlfriend, Tonya Williams, came to his defense Friday.
“He doesn’t go around starting things,” Williams said. “He’s a patient guy, a gentle guy.”
Wilson has one prior, non-violent arrest from more than 25 years ago, when he was 24.
Meanwhile, Lewis was home with stitches in her arm.
Back at the hospital, Tripp’s mother, Sheniqua Marcus, said her daughter has a long road to recovery. She said she's lucky to be alive — her condition was downgraded from serious to critical on Thursday night.
“It could have been a gun, you know?” Marcus said. “It could have been worse.”
The condition of Tripp’s baby wasn’t immediately known, but the mom-to-be was alert and sitting upright at the hospital Friday.
