Grand Central subway stabbing suspect called detectives to retrieve lost phone, police say
MANHATTAN, New York (WABC) -- After bumping into a fellow commuter on a busy subway car, many New Yorkers would exchange apologetic looks - or simply ignore one another - and move on.
The NYPD says 30-year-old Bronx man Gavin Ferguson stabbed two men on the subway at Grand Central Station after one stepped on his shoe, later telling detectives he felt "disrespected."
MTA surveillance captured the entire incident:
Riding the southbound 5 train Wednesday night, a 28-year-old man accidentally trod on Ferguson's shoe.
Ferguson reacted by punching and stabbing the man, police say.
As the victim was being assailed, a 32-year-old good Samaritan intervened, giving the first victim time to escape.
The man who stepped in "sustained multiple stab wounds to his torso that punctured" his "bowel and required surgery," police add. Both victims were sent to a nearby hospital to recover.
During this scuffle, Ferguson dropped his cell phone on the subway train. He fled on foot to his nearby job, where he changed his clothes and realized his phone was missing.
Wanting to retrieve his phone, Ferguson called the number - ringing up the detectives processing it as evidence. They answered, set up a meeting point, and took him into custody.
Police found a knife in his possession.
Ferguson was arraigned Friday morning. His bail is set at $500,000. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison. He has no prior arrests.
One senior official notes many subway crimes can be traced back to a stare down or a inadvertent bump or shove.
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