Cops arrested a baby-faced teenager for the ruthless slashing of a 29-year-old woman on a lower Manhattan train last week and revealed that the masked stranger nearly killed the victim when he sliced her up with a large kitchen knife after she refused to give up her bag.
Brandon Balfour, 18, was arraigned on attempted murder in the second degree, assault, and robbery charges on Sunday for repeatedly knifing the victim in the violent robbery on a northbound No. 3 train around 11:10 p.m. Wednesday, authorities said.
Before the victim, who is nonverbal and can only communicate by writing, was attacked by the brute, she recalled feeling the masked teen look at her in a “strange” manner as they sat alone on a train car, according to the criminal complaint.
She then tried to exit the train, but Balfour followed her and allegedly told her to give him her bag or he would stab her, court documents alleged.
When the straphanger refused to give up her bag and looked for help, the brute allegedly flashed a knife and slashed her on her left arm and elbow, both hands, and back, with a 14-to-16-inch kitchen knife, surveillance footage showed.
The victim had a large amount of blood pooling from her back after the attack, according to the complaint.
Balfour then allegedly took the woman’s cellphone and ditched the knife as he fled the scene — leaving her slumped on the ground and bleeding as she appeared to call for help, court docs said.
The woman was then taken to Bellevue Hospital and treated for the stab wounds, which “pierced her diaphragm, causing her internal organs to shift,” the complaint said.
She then underwent “significant and extensive surgery” to survive the stabbing, according to officials.
Balfour was arrested on Friday after he was located inside a Jamaica, Queens shelter, cops said.
The yellow face mask he wore during the assault and a cellphone covered with blood were found on him when he was arrested, according to the documents.
The teen was ordered held without bail after prosecutors demanded he be remanded at his Manhattan Criminal Court hearing.
Balfour will return to court on Thursday.
Read the full article here
