Chilling video showed the suspect eyeing the victim Saturday at the East 149th Street station, before running over and shoving him - right as a train approached.
As the suspect ran off, bystanders helped the victim, German Sabio, back onto the platform.
The train stopped within feet of rolling over him. Fortunately, he was not hit and had only minor injuries, including bruises on his legs.
On Tuesday, police said 35-year-old Miguel Ramirez was charged with attempted murder, assault, assault with intent to cause serious physical injury, causing injury through risk of death and reckless endangerment.
He has about 10 prior arrests, including for assaults, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a controlled substance.
The victim said he never even saw the attacker behind him.
"He didn't say nothing to me, I didn't know him, I think he didn't know me, because I never saw him in my life," Sabio said. "And then he attacked me and pushed me to the train tracks. I went to see if the train was coming, but I never think this guy was coming up behind me."
He said he thinks the police need to be in all the train stations.
"These kind of people, they cannot stay in the subway like that," Sabio said. "They have to do something with them. Because if it can happen to me, it can happen to a kid or another person, or old lady or man. And you never know when it's gonna happen to you."
Sabio said he hopes the police will do their job to catch the suspect so it can't happen to someone else.
The attack is only the latest in a series of random, unprovoked attacks in the transit system. One woman was brutally beaten in Jamaica, Queens last month. Others have been shot and stabbed. Riders continue to ride in fear.
On Monday night, a 50-year-old man was arrested after a fight with another subway rider ended with that man fatally struck by a train in Elmhurst, Queens.
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