Overview

• 18-year-old Brandon Balfour is accused of slashing a 29-year-old woman with a 14-inch kitchen knife, stealing her phone and inflicting a diaphragm-piercing wound on a northbound No. 3 train at Wall Street station.
• The victim underwent emergency surgery and remains hospitalized in stable condition; Balfour pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail.
• Police arrested 21-year-old Carlos Rivera for a Tuesday attack on a 25-year-old woman at the 23rd Street Chelsea station, charging him with attempted murder and related counts.
• NYPD crime data show a 7.4% drop in felony assaults and a 4.5% decrease in misdemeanor assaults systemwide over the past year despite the recent stabbings.
• The department has boosted data-driven patrols and deployed National Guard troops to address a surge in transit violence recorded since mid-2023.