Man Indicted for Subway Stabbing Attack

A Manhattan grand jury indicted Christopher Betancourt, 25, over a December stabbing at the Union Square subway station, prosecutors said. (manhattanda.org) Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said Betancourt is charged with attempted murder, attempted assault, assault, and two weapon-possession counts in a New York State Supreme Court indictment announced April 20, 2026. (manhattanda.org) Prosecutors say the attack happened on Dec. 10, 2025, after Betancourt boarded a Manhattan-bound L train at Canarsie Street and got off at Union Square around 9:51 a.m. A 45-year-old man exited first, and Betancourt allegedly followed him onto the platform. (manhattanda.org) The district attorney’s office said Betancourt stayed in the subway car for about a minute, then charged at the man and stabbed him three times in the back. The victim fought him off, took the knife, and later went to Bellevue Hospital for stitches. (manhattanda.org) Police arrested Betancourt on Feb. 10, 2026, after Transit District 4 officers saw a man matching the suspect description enter the subway system and followed him to Union Square, according to amNewYork. Officers said they found a dagger and pepper spray when they took him into custody. (amny.com) Early police reporting described the case as an assault charge in Manhattan Criminal Court after the arrest. The indictment moves the case forward with more serious felony counts and places it in state Supreme Court. (patch.com) (manhattanda.org) The case lands in a transit system where officials have been arguing over whether riders are safer than they feel. Gov. Kathy Hochul said in December 2025 that subway major crime was down 5.2% from 2024 and at its lowest level in 16 years, with 1.65 major crimes per million riders. (governor.ny.gov) More recent police figures showed a mixed picture in early 2026. ABC7 reported on April 15 that year-to-date transit felonies were down 1.5% and assaults down 5.5%, while robberies were up 15% from the same period in 2025. (abc7ny.com) Bragg said the victim was commuting to work when he was attacked after getting off an L train at Union Square. The indictment does not resolve the case; prosecutors noted the charges are allegations, and Betancourt is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. (manhattanda.org)