Particle.news

Arrest in SoHo Subway Stabbing as Police Hunt Teen in Separate J Train Attack

Officials report an early‑2026 rise in transit crime, with Lower Manhattan reports climbing sharply.

Overview

  • NYPD arrested 28-year-old Dariel Castillo on Wednesday and charged him with assault in the Jan. 28 stabbing inside the Broadway–Lafayette station.
  • Police say Castillo stabbed a 51-year-old stranger multiple times after an argument in the station, and the victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition.
  • Castillo, of East Harlem, was ordered held on $5,000 cash bail or $10,000 bond at a Thursday arraignment, according to court records.
  • In a separate case, a 15-year-old was stabbed on a Broad Street–bound J train as it reached Canal Street on Feb. 3 by another teen who fled and remains sought.
  • NYPD data show transit crime up about 10% citywide so far this year, with incidents in the Fifth Precinct roughly tripling compared with the same period in 2025.