William Blount, a 57-year-old homeless man, was arrested Sunday for allegedly striking a woman multiple times in the head with hammer at the Queens Plaza subway station Thursday night (Photo NYPD)
Feb. 27, 2022 By Christian Murray
A 57-year-old homeless man was arrested Sunday for the gruesome hammer attack of a woman at the Queens Plaza subway station Thursday night.
William Blount, 57, who resides at a Manhattan homeless shelter, was arrested on charges of attempted murder, robbery, and assault for allegedly hitting a woman as many as 13 times with a hammer as she was walking down a flight of steps at an entrance to the Queens Plaza subway station at around 11:20 p.m.
Police said that Blount lives at 52 William St. in Manhattan, the address of the former Radisson Hotel, which has been converted into a homeless shelter.
Police released a photo of the William Blount who allegedly bludgeoned Nina Rothschild with a hammer at the Queens Plaza subway station Thursday (NYPD)
The victim, Nina Rothschild, suffered a fractured skull and lacerations to the head and is in critical condition following the attack.
Rothschild was attacked on her way home from work. She was coming from the NYC Health Department, where she works as a senior health scientist, which is around the corner from the subway station.
Video was released of the incident Friday that caused public outrage.
“Last night’s vile, unprovoked attack on healthcare hero Nina Rothschild is chilling and sadistic beyond words,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards.
“No one should feel unsafe in their community or feel like a target in their local subway station. In the wake of this savage assault, the NYPD must increase its presence at the Queens Plaza stop and the surrounding subway stations in the immediate area to give Western Queens residents the peace of mind they deserve as they move in and out of the transit system,” Richards said.
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