A woman was viciously attacked Thursday night at a New York City subway station when a man approached her from behind and beat her with a hammer, police said.
The woman, who the police did not identify, was at the Queens Plaza subway station around 11:20 p.m. when a man walked up behind her and kicked her down the steps, authorities said.
"The individual then brandished a hammer and struck the victim several times on the head before he took her purse," police said. "The individual fled the scene on foot, southbound on Queens Plaza South."
The woman, 57, suffered a fractured skull and lacerations to her head, authorities said. She was taken to New York-Presbyterian Hospital in critical condition.
No arrests had been made as of Friday morning. The New York City Police Department said it is still searching for the suspect, who was dressed in a black hooded coat, black mask and was carrying a cane.
Disturbing video released by the department captured the attack. The suspect is seen in the video walking up the steps toward the street after beating the woman.
There is a reward up to $3,500 for information, according to NYPD Crime Stoppers.
Recently, there has been a rash of attacks in the city's subway system. Mayor Eric Adams and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul recently unveiled a new plan to combat violence on public transit.
The city's transit chief also announced that barriers or doors would be installed on some subway platforms and teams of officers and mental health workers will be deployed to remove homeless people from stations and to “get rid of disorderly activity” such as drug use.
Adams said at a news conference this week in the Fulton Street subway station, that the vast majority of unhoused people are not dangerous. He said because of the pandemic, however, more people have untreated medical and mental health issues, and some of those people are dangerous to themselves and the public.
