UPDATE: A 26-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly slashing another man at a subway station in Brooklyn, according to NYPD officials. The incident occurred at the 53rd Street subway station on the R line in Sunset Park around 1 p.m. on December 25, 2023.
Emergency responders found a 33-year-old victim with severe cuts on multiple parts of his body. He was swiftly transported to the hospital and is currently reported to be in stable condition. The suspect, identified as Caleb Polidore, a resident of Crown Heights, was taken into custody at the scene.
According to authorities, the altercation began with an argument near the station’s turnstiles before Polidore allegedly attacked the victim with a box cutter. The NYPD has launched an investigation to determine the specifics of the dispute.
Polidore is facing serious charges, including assault, weapons possession, menacing, and harassment. This incident highlights ongoing concerns about safety in the transit system, despite a reported 10% decrease in felony assaults in the 72nd Precinct, which encompasses Sunset Park and Windsor Terrace.
However, police data reveals that transit crime in the precinct has surged by 31%, with over 30 incidents recorded this year alone. Citywide, transit crime has decreased by nearly 5% year over year, with felony assaults remaining stable, according to the NYPD.
Authorities state that 2025 marks the transit system’s safest year since 2009, excluding the early periods of the COVID-19 pandemic when ridership was dramatically low.
This is a developing story, and updates will follow as more information becomes available.
