A 31-year-old woman was charged with murder in the death of a man who was pushed in front of a New York City subway train, telling authorities it was an act of revenge for the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Erika Menendez, 31, was charged with second-degree murder as a hate-crime for allegedly pushing Sunando Sen, 46, into a No. 7 train in the Queens borough of New York on the night of Dec. 27, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said yesterday in a statement.
Menendez, who lives in the Bronx, admitted pushing Sen and said she was prompted by the terrorist attacks in 2001, according to Brown. She said “in sum and substance ’I pushed a Muslim off the train tracks because I hate Hindus and Muslims ever since 2001 when they put down the twin towers I’ve been beating them up,’” according to the district attorney.
“The defendant is accused of committing what is every subway commuter’s worst nightmare -– being suddenly and senselessly pushed into the path of an oncoming train,” Brown said.
The fatality was the second such incident in New York City this month. On Dec. 3, a man was killed when he was pushed onto the tracks in front of an oncoming train in Manhattan.
Menendez was seen talking to herself while seated on a bench at the 40th Street-Lowery Street station and was also observed pacing on the platform and muttering to herself. Sen was on the subway platform as the train approached, and Menendez allegedly pushed him from behind into the path of the oncoming train, according to the district attorney.
