In a shocking incident at a Manhattan subway station, a Honduran illegal immigrant pushed two passengers onto the tracks one after another. This perpetrator, Bairon Hernandez, who had been deported at least four times before, has a history of multiple violent crimes. Federal officials stated on Thursday (March 12) that this criminal is a “serial offender” and should not have another chance to endanger the safety of others on the streets of New York.
According to data from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), 34-year-old Hernandez has faced at least 15 criminal charges in the past, including serious assault, weapon possession, domestic violence, simple assault, drug possession, and obstructing law enforcement.
Earlier this month, Hernandez, at the Lexington Avenue-63rd Street subway station in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, suddenly pushed 83-year-old Air Force veteran Richard Williams and another 30-year-old passenger named Jhon Pena from behind onto the tracks. He had no prior acquaintance with either of the victims.
Following the incident, other passengers at the scene swiftly came to the rescue, pulling the two individuals back to the platform, averting more severe injuries or fatalities as a train was approaching. Williams sustained critical injuries and is currently in the intensive care unit (ICU) relying on a ventilator. His family expressed concerns that he “may not wake up.” Pena, on the other hand, only suffered minor injuries.
Federal officials highlighted that Hernandez first illegally entered the United States in 2008, and has since been deported four times, with the most recent deportation occurring in 2020. Each time he was deported, he managed to find a way to re-enter the country illegally.
The incident has reignited political controversies surrounding New York’s “sanctuary city” policy. Department of Homeland Security officials criticized local governments for restricting cooperation between local law enforcement agencies and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), allowing repeat offenders and criminals to remain in the community.
On the same day, federal immigration officials issued a detainer request to the New York police, demanding that if the suspect is released in local cases, he should continue to be detained for federal handling.
A judge ordered Hernandez to be released on a $100,000 cash bond or a $300,000 surety bond. He is currently being held in a municipal detention facility.