NYC subway rider allegedly killed in stabbing, then bystanders chase suspect onto a rooftop
Witnesses followed the suspected attacker through Queens and helped direct officers toward him before police made an arrest.
A New York City subway ride turned deadly Wednesday when a 59-year-old man was fatally stabbed aboard a J train in Queens. As the suspected attacker fled the station, several bystanders chased after him.
The victim, identified as Mesias Lojano, was stabbed multiple times in the neck and chest at the Woodhaven Boulevard station on September 30. According to CBS News New York, Lojano was found unconscious and unresponsive before being taken to Jamaica Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police arrested 25-year-old Jyrell Thomas, who has since been charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon. Video captured the chaotic aftermath as passengers rushed from the station and a group began pursuing a man dressed in black. Witnesses said they followed the suspect through the surrounding streets before he climbed onto a nearby rooftop.
Bystanders followed the suspect from the station
Bismarck Villareyna witnessed the attack and recorded parts of the pursuit. He told ABC7 New York that another man began yelling for someone to stop the suspect, prompting Villareyna to run after him.
Villareyna said he considered physically intervening but feared he could also be stabbed. Instead, he continued recording and following the suspect for evidence purposes, eventually helping direct police toward him.
Another witness, David Benenson, told CBS that he and others followed the alleged attacker until the man climbed onto a roof. Benenson said several people surrounded the area until officers arrived approximately 10 minutes later.
New York subway encounters frequently become viral stories for far less serious reasons, including two tourists who said an NYPD encounter followed a fare issue. Other incidents have involved riders reporting frightening confrontations, including a woman who said a stranger spat on and chased her.
Police arrested Thomas on a rooftop
NBC New York reported that witnesses alerted officers after locating Thomas on the roof of a detached garage nearby. Police found him lying on the roof, and he complied with officers before being brought down in handcuffs.
Authorities recovered a kitchen knife following the stabbing and took Thomas into custody. He was later charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon.
The circumstances leading up to the attack remain unclear. CBS reported that police described the stabbing as unprovoked and said there had been no prior interaction between Thomas and Lojano. However, according to ABC7, police said Thomas approached Lojano inside the train before the latter tried to walk away.
The fatal attack marked the sixth homicide in New York City’s subway system this year, according to police. There were four recorded subway homicides in 2025 and 10 in 2024.
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