A black transgender man was slashed by a woman he offered his seat to while riding a Manhattan subway on Sunday night, authorities announced Monday. The suspect is currently facing hate crime charges after allegedly making racist comments to the victim.
The 44-year-old man was riding a northbound 4 train when the female suspect, 30-year-old Stephanie Pazmino, and her cousin entered the train. When he offered to move over for the two women, she admitted that she didn’t want to sit next to a black person, the New York Post first reported.
"I don't want your seat," she said, according to police, before telling her cousin in Spanish that she didn’t “want to sit next to a black person.”
Then, police said Pazmino and the man got into a verbal argument and the man got up and moved to the end of the train. When he attempted to leave the train at 125th Street, the suspect took out a two-inch knife, allegedly slashed him several times on the left side of his face, and stabbed his left arm.
A witness attempted to stop the attack and helped the bleeding victim exit the train.
Authorities spoke with the suspect's cousin who confirmed the attacks. They also recovered the knife at the scene, arrested Pazmino, and rushed the victim to a Harlem hospital for treatment. Pazmino has been charged with hate crime assault, reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon.
