Suspect in custody after 2 women shoved onto NYC subway tracks

NEW YORK - Two women are recovering after they were pushed into the subway tracks early Monday morning.

It happened at 2:17 a.m. on the uptown F train platform on Delancey Street.

Sources tell CBS New York the two women, 27 and 28, are tourists from Mexico. They were waiting for the train when, according to police, Ebony Butts, 42, pushed one of them onto the tracks in an unprovoked attack. When the other woman went to help her friend, Butts allegedly shoved her onto the tracks as well.

Fortunately, no train was entering the station at the time. Fellow straphangers helped pull the women from the tracks.

An NYPD officer happened to be on the platform and heard the commotion and apprehended Butts, who faces assault and reckless endangerment charges.

The two victims suffered minor leg injuries.

A friend of the victims told CBS New York they were not standing close to the edge when Butts approached them, and they both feel lucky to be alive.

Butts was taken for a psychiatric evaluation. Police say Butts seemed to be in a state of emotional distress during the incident.

"Silver lining: Cops on the platform made an immediate arrest. This is a terrible thing that happened but I'm so thrilled that we had cops on the platform immediately arrest. This was a person who apparently is very emotionally disturbed, has real serious mental health issues. And they were taken to Bellevue right away," MTA Chair Janno Lieber said. "Being on a subway platform or a subway car with someone that has psychosis and acting out and acting aggressive is really disturbing so we are pushing to stop that. This is a couple of tourists. All us New Yorkers know that hurts us a little bit when tourists have these terrible experiences. I am thrilled that cops were there right away, that's the key."

Overall crime in transit system is down, officials say

Monday's incident comes as officials have recently touted an overall drop in crime in the subway system .

Last month, officials said crime in the transit system was down nearly 8% overall this year compared to the same period last year. Furthermore, officials say crime in the transit system is 11% lower overall than it was prior to the COVID pandemic in 2019.

New statistics released Monday show that fare evasion arrests are up 101.5% overall this year compared to the same time period last year. Summonses for unsafe riding, which can include things like subway surfing and riding between cars, are also up 17.5%.

"We've had five straight months of double-digit decreases in overall subway crime after we surged more than 1,000 additional officers into the system in February, and, so far, in July, we're on track for a sixth month of safer subways," Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement touting the reduction in subway crime. "Today, other than during the pandemic, our transit system is the safest it's been in 14 years, with the lowest number of robberies in recorded history."