A man that was charged with attacking a passenger on the New York subway using a hammer has 47 prior arrests, according to police.
Christian Jeffers was arrested Wednesday for allegedly using a hammer to beat up a passenger on the subway in Manhattan, police said, according to The New York Post. Jeffers hit a 29-year-old Asian man with a hammer after the victim bumped into him, during the attack, which occurred Tuesday, according to the outlet.
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Jeffers’ 47 prior arrests date back to 2007. His criminal history includes a second-degree robbery conviction, for which he served six years in prison, along with additional charges related to prostitution, grand larceny and public lewdness, the outlet reported.
Following this latest incident on the New York subway, Jeffers faced multiple hate crime charges, including “assault, aggravated assault, and menacing,” ABC 7 NY reported. In addition, Jeffers was also charged with “criminal possession of a weapon,” according to ABC 7 NY. Jeffers allegedly ran away after committing the attack. (RELATED: Man Caught On Video Spraying Febreze At Asian Man In Possible Coronavirus Related Hate Crime)
The attack involving Jeffers is not the first incident in which a passenger on the New York subway was targeted with a hammer. Back in February, police arrested a man who allegedly followed a woman down the stairs of the subway in Queens before repeatedly hitting her in the head with a hammer and taking her bag.
Concerns about safety on the New York subways have increased as violence continues to plague the transportation system. The weekend after Mayor Eric Adams announced a new subway safety plan, at least six people were stabbed or slashed at a variety of subway stations. The plan involves police patrolling the subways and helping remove and relocate mentally ill and homeless people.