The three individuals wanted in connection with the death of a 45-year-old subway rider ahead of last Friday's morning rush are now in custody after an intense search, according to NYPD officials.
Police late Sunday identified the trio as 24-year-old Justin Herde, 38-year-old Betty Cotto and 42-year-old Alfredo Trinidad. The relationship among the three wasn't clear. It didn't appear they had any prior connection to the victim.
A senior law enforcement official said Trinidad had a gun on him when was arrested at an apartment on Villa Avenue with his girlfriend and her brother. It was not clear what charges each suspect would face; attorney information for the trio was not immediately available.
According to the NYPD, the victim, identified as William Alvarez of the Bronx, was riding a southbound D train just before 5 a.m. Friday when the trio boarded at Fordham Road. One of them sat next to Alvarez. An argument ensued.
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The disagreement soon turned physical, and the other two suspects joined in to make it a three-on-one fight, according to NYPD Transit Chief Michael Kemper. The train pulled into the next station, the 182nd-183rd streets stop, and the three suspects ran off.
Police were called to the scene on Grand Concourse and found the victim unconscious. He was seen being rushed out of the station on a stretcher and taken to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
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Investigators are still trying to determine what killed him. They say he had either a gunshot wound or a puncture wound to his chest. The medical examiner is working to determine Alvarez's cause of death, though police are referring to the incident as a homicide.
No weapon was recovered at the scene. Police initially didn't know the suspects' whereabouts after they fled. Officials said video from inside the train car showing the entire incident could be a key part of their ongoing investigation.
The violence was the latest in a series of subway incidents. On Feb. 12, six people were shot on the platform at the Mt. Eden Avenue subway station in the Bronx as teenagers exchanged gunfire. A 35-year-old was killed in the shooting.
Recent NYPD data paints a concerning picture, with 2023 seeing the highest number of subway assaults since at least 1996. Over that year, there were 570 assaults, marking a slight increase from the previous year and averaging about 1.5 incidents daily.
But Kemper said there is "progress" being made. An infusion of 1,000 more officers into the subway system — which was done in a direct response to a January crime spike — has led to a 17% reduction in crime in February (though for the year, still up 13% compared to 2023). He went on to call the high-profile killings "isolated incidents" but didn't share further details.
"We are looking forward to keeping this momentum moving forward," he said. "Out cops are out there, they are visible and are under immense pressure. They do a very challenging job."
Kemper and transit officials pinned the blame on the same thing for fueling the rise: recidivist criminals who are repeat offenders. MTA President Richard Davey said Monday there had been seven assaults against transit workers in 2024, for which four suspects have been arrested.
Among the suspects, they have a combined 50 prior arrests.
"My plea to the justice system: Make sure appropriate justice is delivered," said Davey. "Fifty strikes seems like a lot of godd---ed strikes."
MTA Chairman Janno Lieber said prosecutors have rarely used a new tool available for those who attack transit workers: Banning them from using mass transit in the city.
