A New York man was arrested after being accused of shoving his girlfriend onto the subway tracks at a Manhattan train station, leading to both of her feet being amputated.
According to The New York Post, police officers arrested Christian Valdez on Saturday, March 9, about 11 hours after the incident. The alleged crime took place at the Fulton Street station, where he allegedly shoved the woman as a No. 3 train approached the platform on Friday, March 8, at approximately 10:25 a.m.
Police said that Valdez immediately fled the
scene after pushing his girlfriend, who has not been identified. He was caught and arrested at about 9:35 p.m. in Brooklyn. He had gone there to meet with a parole officer but was greeted by officers from the NYPD (New York Police Department). When questioned by police officers, he allegedly confessed to committing the act during an argument with her.“They were arguing, and he pushed her,” according to a police source.
The 35-year-old man was charged with attempted murder and felony assault and is currently being held without bail
following an arraignment Sunday night. ABC News reported that the 29-year-old victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she was listed in stable condition.Valdez is no stranger to crime. He was reportedly arrested in September 2017 after stabbing a woman after he broke into her Bronx apartment and attempted to throw her 3-year-old daughter off a fire escape.
In 2020, Valdez was convicted of second-degree attempted assault in the Bronx again. He was sentenced to eight years in prison, based on court records. He was released last year on Jan. 9, 2023, from the Sing Sing Correctional Facility in Ossining, New York. He was still on parole when he shoved his girlfriend onto the subway tracks on Saturday.
According to The Daily Mail, a woman identifying herself as Valdez’ niece stated that her uncle fled to her apartment in Newark, N.J., and told her about the fall but said he didn’t know how it happened.
“He said they had a fight, and she fell down, but he didn’t know how,” she said.
She says he’s been living with schizophrenia for 18 years.
“Christian has schizophrenia, and he needs special help. He needs mental health help.” She added that she hoped his girlfriend, whom he has only been seeing for two or three months, could ‘forgive him because he is sick.’She says he’s spent time in hospitals in New York and New Jersey being treated for his condition but thinks if he goes back to jail, his condition will only get worse.
“In prison, they don’t have good medical help,’ she stated. ‘He needs medical help. He needs help from the doctors.”