An 83-year-old US Air Force veteran has tragically died after being shoved onto subway tracks in New York City. As reported by the New York Post, the alleged killer has been charged with murder.
Veteran and grandfather Richard Williams was randomly pushed onto the subway tracks alongside another man. 30-year-old John Pena was also pushed onto the tracks. He heroically helped pull Williams back onto the platform, just before a train came into the station.
They were waiting for the train at the Lexington Avenue-63rd station on March 8, around noon. Whilst the other man survived, the veteran sadly died of his injuries.
The alleged attacker, Bairon Hernandez, 34, originally from Honduras, was arrested on March 10 at a homeless shelter. Following the death of Williams, his charges got upgraded to second-degree murder, according to court records.
Williams tragically became brain-dead due to his injuries. His daughter, Debbie Williams, said that the veteran was unlikely to "wake up" following the incident. She has since declined to comment on Thursday, following her father's death.
She has however expressed some choice words for the alleged murderer. "I want him to go to the Venezuela prison, the worst place he could go to... I want him to suffer for the rest of his life. Prison justice would be appropriate."
The retired Air Force pilot had won a five-year battle with prostate cancer six months ago.
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The outlet has described the suspect as a "serial criminal", having previously been charged with over 15 crimes. These include aggravated assault, possession of a weapon, and domestic violence, according to Homeland Security.
Hernandez had been deported from the US four times previously, with the most recent deportation being in 2020. Authorities aren't sure when he re-entered the country.
"We have no comment at this time," Mitchell Schuman, his attorney, has said. "We have yet to see the indictment, concluded our investigation or reviewed the expected voluminous discovery materials."
This is an absolutely tragic incident. May the veteran rest in peace, and justice be served quickly.
