Subway conductor recounts brutal assault by same man accused of stabbing MTA train operator last week

Before cops accidental helium stabbed seasoned MTA subway operator Myran Pollack and near him successful a medically-induced coma past week, Jonathan Davalos attacked different subway conductor successful a terrifying random attack, the unfortunate told the Daily News.

Ruffin Cutler, 63, told the News however Davalos smashed his fists into his look connected Jan. 18, 2020, portion the unsuspecting bid relation was giving an aged pistillate directions.

Davalos was riding a downtown No. 6 train from Pelham Bay to the extremity of the enactment astatine Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall, erstwhile the pistillate approached the conductor’s compartment and asked Cutler for help. Cutler opened the compartment door, and Davalos pounced.

“He jumped up and started pounding me. He deed maine successful the face, we started struggling till I was capable to interruption escaped and propulsion the doorway shut,” Cutler recalled. “When helium attacked maine determination was nary speech oregon nothing. No words were exchanged. I ne'er seen him earlier successful my life…. That guy’s a lunatic. I conscionable convey God helium didn’t person a weapon erstwhile helium attacked me. The result mightiness person been different.”

Davalos was arrested that day, and aboriginal indicted connected felony assault. But the COVID epidemic hit, and aft respective months connected Rikers Island, his Legal Aid lawyer successfully argued for his merchandise to a attraction programme that October — implicit prosecutors’ objections, according to a spokeswoman for the Manhattan D.A.’s office.

Judge Maxwell Wiley made the decision, but Davalos washed retired of that program, and a seat warrant was issued successful March 2021.

Jonathan Davalos, 27, is walked from Transit District 32 Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024 successful Brooklyn. (Barry Williams for New York Daily News)

A period later, helium stabbed a 21-year-old pistillate successful the enarthrosis successful a random, unprovoked onslaught astatine the W. 135th St. bid station. He coiled up getting 3 and a fractional years for some the stabbing and the battle connected Cutler.

“They support giving these guys a slap connected the wrist and letting them out. Nobody gets 7 years.
Cutler said, referring to the maximum punishment for second-degree battle connected a transit worker. “They’re fortunate if they get 60 days.

“We fearfulness for our lives.”

Attacks connected transit workers person gone up since the commencement of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the assaults persist adjacent arsenic wide levels of transit transgression person gone down. The MTA’s astir caller disposable information reports 30 assaults connected subway workers betwixt January 2024 and July 2024.

There were 81 specified attacks connected subway workers successful 2023, up from 51 successful 2022. Those stats exclude incidents that bash not emergence to the ineligible explanation of assault, similar menacing, making threats, oregon different forms of harassment — which transit workers accidental they repeatedly acquisition connected the job.

MTA seat Janno Lieber has repeatedly called connected prosecutors to spell aft recidivist offenders.

“There is simply a immense fig of crimes that inactive instrumentality spot successful the transit strategy by radical who bash it again and again and again — and this feline is 1 of them,” helium said of Davalos past week portion Pollack was inactive undergoing exigency surgery

“He’s been successful jailhouse for attacking MTA customers and employees before. He got retired successful February, and he’s done it again.” “Crime is down, but recidivism has a disproportionate interaction connected New Yorkers,” Lieber added.

“We’ve got to find a mode to get radical similar this perpetrator retired of the nationalist space, retired of the subways truthful they don’t onslaught radical again and again,” helium said.

Cutler mused that if not for the Taylor Law, which prohibits authorities nationalist employees from striking, MTA workers would locomotion retired implicit information worries.

“We shouldn’t person gotta enactment successful fearfulness for our lives, wondering if we’re going to travel location to our families,” Cutler said. “We’re not constabulary officers for God’s sake. We determination the full city. People should beryllium praising us. Without us, the full metropolis would unopen down.”

Cutler said helium suffered panic attacks connected the occupation arsenic a effect of the beating, and helium continues to spot a scientist to negociate the trauma.

“I’m inactive going to therapy. I got a scientist I talk to connected a regular basis. Sometimes I person flashbacks. It’s hard to work.”

On Tuesday, Davalos struck again, constabulary allege, stabbing Myran Pollack, aft the 59-year-old subway relation told him helium had to permission the No. 4 bid erstwhile it reached its past halt astatine at Utica Ave. halt successful Crown Heights.

Train relation Myran Pollack, who was stabbed repeatedly by a rider connected Tuesday, speaks with Transport Workers Union Local 100 President Richard Davis and TWU’s caput of subways Canella Gomez connected Thursday. (Courtesy of TWU Local 100)

Davalos stabbed Pollack doubly successful each arm, erstwhile successful each enarthrosis and 3 times successful the stomach, and carved a nasty gash into his leg, astir severing his femoral artery, constabulary allege. Pollack has undergone aggregate rounds of surgery.

Davalos is present being held without bail connected attempted execution and battle charges.

Culter was shocked to perceive Davalos had attacked different MTA worker,  and hopes he’ll present walk years successful prison.

“My woman is ne'er going to judge this,” Cutler said. “I was hoping one would ne'er perceive this guy’s sanction again. At slightest I cognize the idiot’s going to spell distant for on clip now.”