An unhinged slasher who randomly attacked a stranger exterior a Manhattan subway station was free to stroll on the streets regardless of separate transit knife assault, officers mentioned – as his disfigured sufferer raged the lax prison justice system almost received him killed.
Ex-con Demitri Marshall, 32, was nabbed a number of hours after he minimize the 27-year-old man throughout his face with out warning exterior the East Broadway prepare station, cops mentioned.
It was simply the most recent transit assault from the unhinged repeat offender, who was arrested for slashing a stranger on board a Bronx prepare final month – however was minimize unfastened on supervised launch in court docket.
His newest sufferer, who solely offered his first title, wanted seven stitches for a gash throughout his high lip and nostril – however lamented that the seasoned perp might have taken his life.
“It’s flawed what the town of New York [did],” Fernando, who’s initially from Ecuador and works as a painter, instructed The Submit by telephone in Spanish. “He’s a prison who received launched by a choose and he might’ve killed me. I don’t know why the justice system lets him go free.”
Fernando mentioned he had simply gotten off the prepare on his manner residence from work and was ready to cross the road when the blade-wielding man ambushed him.
“I got here out behind him, however I didn’t pay any consideration to him,” the sufferer mentioned. “I ended on the nook, on the road. I couldn’t cross as a result of the sunshine was pink, so I seemed to the left and to the appropriate, and I felt like a blow to my face. He grabbed me, and I used to be going to combat him however then I noticed all of the blood.
“He didn’t say something. I used to be in shock,” he added. “I didn’t do something to him. I instructed the police, ‘Thank God he didn’t hit me within the neck or one thing. I might’ve died.’”
The blood-soaked sufferer ran again down into the subway station, the place he instructed on-duty cops what had occurred, however they couldn’t discover the attacker, who had already fled the scene.
“I’ve to be extra vigilant,” Fernando mentioned of the sudden burst of violence. “It makes me unhappy as a result of I didn’t do something flawed. Now take a look at what occurred to me. It scares me to go exterior. I might’ve been killed.”
Marshall, of the Bronx, was busted round 5:30 p.m. a couple of half-mile from the scene and charged with first-degree assault, a felony, in response to cops and prosecutors.
He pleaded not responsible and was ordered held on Rikers Island with out bail throughout his Tuesday afternoon arraignment.
The transfer to maintain Marshall behind bars got here a couple of month after he was granted supervised launch in connection to a subway slashing within the Bronx, prosecutors mentioned.
In that case, he allegedly knifed a 21-year-old man throughout the left aspect of his face for no motive on board a No. 6 prepare passing by the Zerega Avenue station round 11:45 p.m. Aug. 28, cops and prosecutors mentioned.
The sufferer was taken to Jacobi Medical Middle, the place he had been listed in secure situation, cops mentioned.
He was arrested on Sept. 15 and was charged with first-degree tried assault, assault within the second and third levels, prison possession of a weapon and harassment, in response to that prison grievance.
Decide Ralph L. Wolf granted Marshall supervised launch – regardless of prosecutors’ request for him to be held on $50,000 money bail or $150,000 bond, the DA’s Workplace mentioned.
When requested for background on the choose’s ruling, a spokesman for the state’s Workplace of Courtroom Administration mentioned “the court docket system doesn’t touch upon particular person bail determinations.”
“It is very important notice, nonetheless, that the overwhelming majority of bail selections activate the court docket’s discretionary weighing of a broad vary of things as a way to make an individualized evaluation of the defendant’s danger of flight to keep away from prosecution,” spokesman Al Baker mentioned. “That evaluation includes due consideration of knowledge and arguments introduced by the prosecutor and protection counsel, in addition to different supplies submitted to the court docket.”
Marshall had racked up seven busts earlier than his newest unsettling assault. He had additionally been arrested again on Jan. 26 for allegedly punching a 27-year-old man – a stranger – on board an MTA bus at Allen and Grand streets on the Decrease East Aspect, cops mentioned.
“Get my sister’s title out of your mouth,” he snarled through the mindless assault, in response to police.
The disposition of that case was not instantly recognized.
He was additionally arrested for allegedly punching a 33-year-old man within the aspect of the top on the northbound F prepare platform at Second Avenue again in March, legislation enforcement sources mentioned.
That assault was dominated a hate crime – however he was nonetheless launched with “non-monetary circumstances” throughout his arraignment, in response to on-line court docket information.
Marshall additionally served barely over a 12 months in state jail – from March of 2023 to June of 2024 – on a Manhattan theft conviction, state Corrections information present.
He was launched on parole, which expired in February, in response to the information.
His different busts, relationship again to 2012, embody raps for theft, housebreaking and fare evasion, sources mentioned.
Marshall’s subsequent court docket look on the most recent case is scheduled for Oct. 30.
