New York.- New York’s justice system sentenced this Thursday William Blount, 61, to the maximum sentence of 25 years to life imprisonment for the brutal hammer attack that nearly cost the life of Nina Rothschild, a researcher at the city’s Department of Health, in an incident that occurred in the Queens subway in 2022.
The case, which generated consternation throughout the city, culminated in the Queens court with an emotional intervention by the victim, who faced her aggressor for the first time. “Why the hell did he approach from behind, fracture my skull several times with a hammer and then snatch my purse?” expressed Rothschild firmly, visibly recovered after years of intensive surgery and rehabilitation.
The attack occurred on February 24, 2022, at the Queens Plaza station, where Rothschild was going down the stairs after finishing a workday dedicated to tasks related to COVID-19. Blount, who approached walking with a cane,
kicked her down the stairs and inflicted at least 13 blows to the head with a hammer, before fleeing with her purse. The event was captured by security cameras.
The prosecutor in the case emphasized that Blount has a
violent criminal history spanning decades, including
kidnapping, robbery, and attempted homicide offenses. He was found guilty in April after a six-week trial, and both the prosecution and the victim asked the judge for the most severe sentence.
Rothschild survived after undergoing a complex
bilateral craniotomy, in which a titanium mesh was placed to reconstruct her skull. According to doctors, her recovery was “miraculous”, although she has dealt with physical and psychological aftereffects. “I remember every second of that attack,” she said. “I can’t go back to the subway without feeling fear.”
Blount was arrested three days later in Manhattan. During a raid, the police recovered the hammer, his cane, and the stolen purse. A second person,
Denise Alston, was arrested for using the victim’s credit card after the attack.
Persistent violence in public transport
This case once again highlights the
insecurity in New York’s public transportation system, a growing concern among users. So far in 2025, at least
two homicides and several stabbings have been recorded in subway stations.
In April, a passenger died from a stabbing at City Hall station, and in June, another died after receiving a head wound in Greenwich Village. Despite some improvements reported by the NYPD in the first quarter,
less than half of the passengers feel safe traveling on trains and in stations, according to an MTA survey.
In addition, problems such as the
presence of homeless people, drug use, random assaults, and fare evasion continue to affect the experience of millions of users. In 2023, it was estimated that
more than 3,000 homeless people were sleeping in stations and train cars.
Mayor Eric Adams and federal authorities such as Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy have had tense exchanges about the situation. Duffy has even threatened to
withdraw federal funds if the city does not implement effective measures to improve safety.
