NEW YORK — A 59-year-old Queens man was fatally stabbed in an unprovoked attack aboard a J train near Woodhaven Boulevard station on September 30, 2026, at approximately 5:20 p.m., according to the New York City Police Department.
Police identified the victim as Mesias Lojano of Ozone Park, Queens. Authorities said he sustained multiple stab wounds to his chest and neck. He was taken by emergency medical personnel to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Lojano was on his way home from his construction job, his family told The New York Post. His son William said: "My father was always a man of faith and he was taken away from us."
Investigators identified the suspect as 25-year-old Jyrell Thomas of the Bronx.
According to NYPD, Thomas left the station after the stabbing and was pursued by passengers and witnesses. Officers later located him on the roof of a nearby garage and arrested him. A knife was recovered at the scene.
Thomas faces charges of murder and criminal possession of a weapon.
Police said the stabbing was unprovoked and that Lojano and Thomas did not know each other. Earlier accounts characterized the incident as involving an argument, but subsequent police information indicated there had been no prior interaction between the men.
Disturbing video posted to Facebook and Instagram shows panicked commuters frantically fleeing the rush-hour train as the attack happened near the subway car doors. Several men chased Thomas into the street.
Criminal History: Authorities said Thomas had been arrested in the Bronx earlier in September 2026. According to reports citing police and court records, that case involved allegations that he took approximately $23 worth of merchandise from a Target store. He was reportedly charged with petit larceny, obstruction of governmental administration and criminal possession of stolen property.
The investigation remains ongoing. The incident has renewed concern over subway safety in New York City.
Sources: NYPD, NY Post【8268503152676847319†L10-L13】, FOX 5 NY.
