Suspect Arrested in Subway Hate Attack that Broke Woman’s Spine

INSET: STILL IMAGE OF A SUSPECT WANTED FOR SERIOUSLY INJURING A WOMAN ON AN E TRAIN ON NOV. 30. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NYPD. BACKGROUND IMAGE VIA THE MTA.

Associated Press

The NYPD arrested a man suspected of sucker-punching a woman and fracturing her spine in an anti-gay attack aboard a subway traveling through Forest Hills.

Allah Allasheed was charged Thursday morning with assault as a hate crime in connection with the Nov. 30 attack in Queens aboard a Manhattan-bound E train as it approached the Forest Hills-71 Avenue Station.

Allasheed, 54, was arrested days after the NYPD's Hate Crime Task Force publicized a photo and video of the suspect.

As of press time, court records did not list a lawyer who could comment on Allasheed's behalf. He had not yet been arraigned in Queens Criminal Court.

Police say the 20-year-old victim and an acquaintance tried to get away after Allasheed ranted about their sexual orientation and called the victim a anti-gay slur.

Police say he punched the woman in the back of the head and shoved her down. She struck her head on the floor, fracturing her spine.