A Chinese homeless man has been brought to trial and charged with murder for allegedly stabbing a man on a subway train at the Coney Island station in the Brooklyn area. The incident, which led to the fatal stabbing, took place on the N train at the Coney Island terminal following a dispute between the two individuals.
According to the prosecutor’s office, on the night of October 29th, at around 11:10 pm, 32-year-old Zhongqian Chen approached 54-year-old victim Timothy Rudolph on the N train at the Coney Island station. An argument ensued between the two, escalating into a physical altercation. It was alleged that the defendant pulled out a knife and stabbed the victim in the back and legs.
Rudolph staggered towards a subway car on a platform, then collapsed inside the car, and was later rushed to NYU Langone Hospital in Brooklyn, where he was pronounced dead at midnight after unsuccessful resuscitation efforts.
Prosecutor Eric Gonzalez stated, “This is a senseless and tragic act of murder, made even more horrifying by the fact that it occurred within a subway car with numerous commuters present. Brooklyn should not tolerate such acts of violence, and we will do everything in our power to seek justice for the victim and his family.”
Following the incident, Zhongqian Chen fled the scene. After more than a week of investigation, law enforcement authorities arrested him on November 7th.
Zhongqian Chen now faces charges of second-degree murder and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. His bail application was denied by the court, and his next court appearance is scheduled for February 7th next year. If convicted, he could face 25 years to life in prison.
The prosecutor also urged anyone with information regarding the case to contact the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-8477 to provide relevant clues about the incident.