Woman pushed onto subway tracks in Greenwich Village; Reward offered

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Police are offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest of a man who pushed a woman onto subway tracks in Greenwich Village.

Authorities say the 28-year-old victim was on the southbound No. 6 train platform at Lafayette and Bleecker Street on Monday morning when she was approached by a male suspect acting erratically.

The suspect stated to her "what are you looking at," and ran to a garbage pail, where he removed an empty plastic bottle, authorities said.

The man then threw the bottle at the woman and pushed her onto the tracks, police said. Other riders on the platform pulled the woman to safety.

She was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she was treated and released.

The suspect fled toward the F, B, D and M lines.

The victim is transgender, and the police Hate Crimes Task Force is working to determine if bias motivated the attack.

There were no bias statements made or other indicators of bias during the attack, authorities say. Instead, the suspect appeared to be an emotionally-disturbed person who was acting irrationally.

The victim did not want to talk on camera about those frightening moments in Greenwich Village.

Her neighbors in Harlem say they're sickened that this could happen to such a kind person.

"That's disgusting. It's sad that we live in a day and age that this is still going on, it's pathetic," said Petra Scott, the victim's neighbor.

Neighbors say the victim is a giving person who takes care of her elderly grandmother. They just hope the suspect is caught immediately.

"Whatever a person is in their own personal life that's their business, to bother one, to attack one is inexcusable. It's a disgrace to the human race to do such an act," said David McMillan, the victim's neighbor.

The NYPD has put up a wanted poster offering the reward.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS.

The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers Website at http://WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or texting their tips to 274637(CRIMES) then enter TIP577.