Knife-Wielding Robber Yells ‘Go Back to Your Country’ During Subway Mugging

Loud Mouth Mugger Wore Even Louder Clothes

The NYPD are searching for this man in connection with a robbery and a possible hate crime on the subway. -Photo by NYPD

By Dan Gesslein

Manhattan Voice

April 4, 2024 

MANHATTAN - The only thing louder than the suspected mugger’s clothes was his ethnic slurs. Cops are looking for a man who tried to rob a subway rider at knifepoint and then used an ethnic slur on the Upper West Side. 

At around 1:30 pm on March 31, a 48-year-old male was riding inside a Number 2 train approaching the 96th Street Station. Cops said the man in a bright yellow jacket, multi-colored sneakers and a hat pulled out a knife and demanded money. 

Cops said when the victim said he did not have any money, the robber ushered an anti-Hispanic slur and then told the man to “go back to your country.” The robber then ran out of the train out and out of the subway station in an unknown direction. 

At some point during the subway ride and the mugging, a straphanger snapped a photo of the suspect. 

The NYPD released the cell phone photo of the suspect. He is described as a male with a light complexion who is 5 foot 9 and has a medium build. He was last seen wearing a yellow jacket, dark-colored pants, a green t-shirt, and multi-colored sneakers.

Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/ or on Twitter @NYPDTips. 

All calls are strictly confidential.